Get a real alarm clock

Why you shouldn’t let your smart phone wake you up

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to get a real alarm clock. This
one little change can help set you up for all
sorts of better habits. If you're like most modern sorts,

(00:27):
you probably use your smartphone as your alarm clock. It's
easy to set, and let's face it, you always have
your phone with you. But most of us also know
that maybe we should spend a bit less time on
our phones. And here's the issue. Using your smartphone as
your alarm clock means you are welcoming your phone with

(00:49):
all of its functions into your bedroom. It's easy to
serve social media or headlines, or check work email right
before bed. You know it would be better to read
and relax, but there's your phone. Or you might get
jostled out of sleep by an errant text, or feel
like checking email if you're up to use the bathroom

(01:11):
in the middle of the night. All of these can
interfere with sleep, either directly or by inviting anxious thoughts
into your brain. And all of this can be stopped
with a simple switch using a real alarm clock. A
real dumb traditional alarm clock says the time. It will

(01:32):
wake you up when you want to get up, but
it won't tempt you to stay awake for an extra
forty five minutes as you're looking at photos of perfectly
organized pantries. Get a real alarm clock and you'll get
more sleep. Now I realized that some people really want
their phones in their rooms. Maybe worry that if you
have to leave the house suddenly, you won't be able
to find your phone. I get it fine enough, but

(01:55):
if you are going to use your phone as an
alarm clock, promise me a few things. First, you'll put
it in airplane mode thirty minutes before you plan to
go to sleep. You can still use your e reader
app to read books, but no more surfing. Second, you'll
put it somewhere at least a few feet away from
your bed. That way, it's not right there tempting you

(02:16):
as you try to fall asleep or if you happen
to wake up for a bit. And finally, keep it
in airplane mode all night. No texts or calls, no
web surfing capability unless you make a conscious choice to
check such things. You can if you feel you absolutely
need to, but doing so requires an active choice. Most

(02:39):
likely you won't bother, or you'll decide that a regular
old alarm clock might work for you. After all, we
have our phones all day long, taking the nights off
seems like a reasonable compromise. In the meantime, This is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

(03:01):
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at
Before Breakfast pod. That's b E the number four, then

(03:23):
Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot
com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For

(03:45):
more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.