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ysabetwordsmithI came across a post about screenless time before sleep, and had some further thoughts...
* The advice typically applies to screens which emit light toward the blue end of the spectrum. Lamps etc. tend to emit warmer light, especially if you choose "warm white" or slightly yellow-toned bulbs. Candlelight, oil lamps, a fireplace, etc. also give warm light, if you prefer a natural option. This gives you enough light to read a paper book, knit or do other crafts, etc.
* I've usually seen 30-60 minutes recommended. 2-3 hours is a big chunk of time -- that is a quarter or more of your "8 hours for what we will" time. It's probably longer than most folks need, but exact timing varies.
* If you're not dead broke, consider a sunrise-sunset lamp. These sleep aids often look like a white ball on a base, designed to provide changing light and sometimes sounds that assist natural sleep-wake cycles. Most models have a sunset mode for evening.
* Check your devices for a "night mode." Many of them have added this feature, which dims the display slightly and reduces blue light, after criticism that they keep people awake. If you want to use the 2-3 hour recommendation, you could use that night mode for part of the time before turning off your device.
* Consider relaxing evening activities and dark activities.
Tired of Netflix? Try These 70 Things to Do at Night Instead
50 No Screen Activities for Adults: Ideas for Focus & Sleep
21 Tech-Free Evening Wind Down Routine Ideas
10+ Great Activities For When The Power Is Out
Board Games That Are Best Played in the Dark
(Shadows in the Forest is among the top games in this category.)
Games for Blind People or Blackouts
How to spend the one hour before going to bed without a screen
* Test the premise. Just because you see advice about screens or sleep practices, doesn't necessarily mean that applies to you. People vary. Before you start tinkering with your routine, take a baseline so you know how much and how good sleep you are getting (or not). Then test changes one at a time. Does offscreen time improve your sleep? If not, drop it and try something else; there's no point wasting time on a technique that doesn't work for you. If it helps, how long do you need? Is it dose-sensitive, meaning 2-3 hours give better results than just 1 hour? What other evening activities help you feel relaxed and ready for bed? It's your life, you figure out how to live it best.
* If you want to make a serious effort to improve sleep, then a sleep diary or app can help you pin down what works or not. You can find electronic, hardcopy, or printable versions.
Sleep Tracker Apps: What You Need to Know in 2026
We tested 10 sleep apps. These 5 are worth it in 2026
Can't Sleep? Time to Start a Sleep Diary
My Health Alberta Sleep Diary
National Sleep Foundation Sleep Diary
Sleep: A Day and Night Reflection Journal
Sleep Journal -- Wild Strides Paper Co. x Lagoon
Sleep Journal Mini Notebook
* The advice typically applies to screens which emit light toward the blue end of the spectrum. Lamps etc. tend to emit warmer light, especially if you choose "warm white" or slightly yellow-toned bulbs. Candlelight, oil lamps, a fireplace, etc. also give warm light, if you prefer a natural option. This gives you enough light to read a paper book, knit or do other crafts, etc.
* I've usually seen 30-60 minutes recommended. 2-3 hours is a big chunk of time -- that is a quarter or more of your "8 hours for what we will" time. It's probably longer than most folks need, but exact timing varies.
* If you're not dead broke, consider a sunrise-sunset lamp. These sleep aids often look like a white ball on a base, designed to provide changing light and sometimes sounds that assist natural sleep-wake cycles. Most models have a sunset mode for evening.
* Check your devices for a "night mode." Many of them have added this feature, which dims the display slightly and reduces blue light, after criticism that they keep people awake. If you want to use the 2-3 hour recommendation, you could use that night mode for part of the time before turning off your device.
* Consider relaxing evening activities and dark activities.
Tired of Netflix? Try These 70 Things to Do at Night Instead
50 No Screen Activities for Adults: Ideas for Focus & Sleep
21 Tech-Free Evening Wind Down Routine Ideas
10+ Great Activities For When The Power Is Out
Board Games That Are Best Played in the Dark
(Shadows in the Forest is among the top games in this category.)
Games for Blind People or Blackouts
How to spend the one hour before going to bed without a screen
* Test the premise. Just because you see advice about screens or sleep practices, doesn't necessarily mean that applies to you. People vary. Before you start tinkering with your routine, take a baseline so you know how much and how good sleep you are getting (or not). Then test changes one at a time. Does offscreen time improve your sleep? If not, drop it and try something else; there's no point wasting time on a technique that doesn't work for you. If it helps, how long do you need? Is it dose-sensitive, meaning 2-3 hours give better results than just 1 hour? What other evening activities help you feel relaxed and ready for bed? It's your life, you figure out how to live it best.
* If you want to make a serious effort to improve sleep, then a sleep diary or app can help you pin down what works or not. You can find electronic, hardcopy, or printable versions.
Sleep Tracker Apps: What You Need to Know in 2026
We tested 10 sleep apps. These 5 are worth it in 2026
Can't Sleep? Time to Start a Sleep Diary
My Health Alberta Sleep Diary
National Sleep Foundation Sleep Diary
Sleep: A Day and Night Reflection Journal
Sleep Journal -- Wild Strides Paper Co. x Lagoon
Sleep Journal Mini Notebook
