The Health Reset Podcast
"Beyond the headlines: the health reset podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of knowledge and how it can empower you to create lasting change."
The Health Reset Podcast
Breaking the Midnight Scrolling Cycle: Strategies for Better Sleep and Reduced Anxiety
Ever find yourself losing precious sleep to the glow of your phone screen, leaving you with that dreaded morning-after feeling? You're not alone. Join us as we unravel the mystery behind late-night scrolling and its impact on our well-being, with expert insights from [Guest Name]. Discover how social media apps are engineered to hook our brains with their allure of novelty and connection, often at the cost of a good night's rest. We'll dissect the concept of "Revenge Bedtime Procrastination," our subconscious rebellion against hectic schedules, and how nighttime anxiety leads to mindless scrolling. We'll also explore the unsettling pull of "doom scrolling," where immersing ourselves in negative news ironically heightens our anxiety and disrupts sleep.
But worry not, because we're here with actionable strategies to reclaim your nights. Learn how setting a "digital curfew" and establishing soothing bedtime rituals can pave the way for restful slumber. We'll discuss the importance of addressing underlying anxieties that drive excessive phone use and how techniques like journaling and therapy can offer relief. Self-compassion is key; change doesn't happen overnight, but with mindful choices, we can transform our habits. Let's journey towards better sleep and reduced anxiety, one conscious choice at a time, and finally give ourselves the rest we deserve.
Thanks for tuning in to The Health Reset. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend. And for exclusive content and community support, become a member at https://thehealthresetpodcast.buzzsprout.com
Okay, so we've all been there, right? It's like way past your bedtime. You know you should be sleeping, but your phone is just calling to you, you know.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Next thing, you know it's 2 in the morning and you're just lost in the scroll.
Speaker 2:Oh, totally.
Speaker 1:It's like a weird mix of guilt and fascination.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh.
Speaker 1:So tonight we are going to deep dive into this whole thing, and our guide is called Midnight Scrolling and Morning Dread.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:And we're not looking at this like some stuffy research paper. We want to figure out what is actually happening in our brains when we do this.
Speaker 2:It's definitely more than willpower at play. It's like our brains are wired to look for new things to seek out connection and social media really knows how to tap into that. But then you know, it ends up costing us sleep and it affects our well-being.
Speaker 1:Exactly so. If you're listening and you've ever felt that pull of the screen when you should be asleep Right, this is the deep dive for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We're going to unpack why we do this and then, more importantly, what we can do about it.
Speaker 2:So one of the things this guide digs into is it's called Revenge Bedtime Procrastination.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:And it's this idea that we stay up late to feel like we have a little control over our time, especially if our days are really full of stuff that we have to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's almost like we're like rebelling against the schedule. Yeah, exactly that feels too rigid, even if we end up regretting it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:But it makes sense though, right.
Speaker 2:It does and you know, a lot of times there's anxiety wrapped up in it. Oh, okay. Like if we're kind of dreading the next day, that late night scroll feels like an escape, but it's only temporary.
Speaker 1:The guide actually has this example and it's so relatable yeah. It talks about someone scrolling through family updates just to get that good feeling.
Speaker 2:Oh, I see.
Speaker 1:Even though they had to be up early for something. It's so easy to just be like, oh, one more quick peek and then like an hour's gone Totally. Have you ever felt that pull?
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. That's like the allure of avoidance it feels good right now, but it doesn't actually fix that like underlying anxiety about tomorrow, right, right, and then it can even make us more tired and stressed.
Speaker 1:Which leads perfectly into our next point. Okay, nighttime anxiety.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like. Why does it seem like all of our worries get louder at night?
Speaker 2:Yeah, part of it is that when it's dark and quiet, our inner world kind of gets louder too. So, like during the day, we have a lot of stuff competing for our attention, right.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:But at night, all those worries that we kind of pushed aside, they take center stage.
Speaker 1:So scrolling becomes this way to like quiet them.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:To kind of escape facing what's making us anxious. But I'm wondering like does that actually work? Yeah, yeah, To kind of escape facing what's making us anxious. But I'm wondering, like does that actually work? Yeah, or are we just delaying like the inevitable? What are the long term consequences of just like using scrolling as a coping mechanism?
Speaker 2:That's such a good question.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And the guide actually brings up this kind of interesting point that uses this powerful image of like someone replaying this uncomfortable conversation over and over in their head, oh yeah and they're scrolling to avoid it. It's almost like they're trying to outrun their own thoughts I can definitely relate to that.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it feels impossible to escape that mental loop yeah, and a lot of times.
Speaker 2:The more we try to run right, the more those thoughts catch up to us.
Speaker 1:So so let's talk about anticipatory anxiety.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:It's basically like fear tomorrow. Yeah, and it's not always about some big life-changing event, right?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it's just like the buildup of little tasks, responsibilities.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Just like not knowing what the day will bring.
Speaker 2:It's that like feeling of dread about what's coming next, you know Uh-huh, that kind of just makes it hard to relax and drift off to sleep.
Speaker 1:And the guide highlights how even small things can like trigger this feeling.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:If we're already feeling overwhelmed or like unprepared.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not really about how big the event actually is.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It's about how big it feels to us, and that's where the scrolling comes in.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It's just a way to escape thinking about tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Even if it's just a brief escape.
Speaker 1:There's this example in the guide that I found really fascinating.
Speaker 2:OK.
Speaker 1:It talks about someone who's dreading an appointment the next day and instead of like preparing or trying to get some sleep, they end up like scrolling through old photos.
Speaker 2:Interesting.
Speaker 1:And it really shows how we can use even positive content to avoid facing like what's making us anxious.
Speaker 2:That's so true. It's like we're saying I don't want to deal with this right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Even if what we're looking at has nothing to do with, like, the actual source of our anxiety. Totally, totally, this is a distraction okay.
Speaker 1:So let's be honest here. We've all fallen into that doom scrolling trap oh yeah right, especially late at night, when it seems like the bad news just keeps coming and coming it really does feel like a train wreck that you just can't look away from uh-huh and for our listeners who maybe aren't familiar with that term. Doom scrolling basically means endlessly scrolling through negative news and social media.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Even though it makes us feel you know kind of worse.
Speaker 2:So why do we do this to ourselves, especially when we know it's going to feed that anxiety? And mess up our sleep.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's not exactly a recipe for sweet dreams.
Speaker 1:It's a good question. The guide kind of suggests, yeah, that maybe it's because we feel like we have some kind of control when we do it okay, like we're telling ourselves that we're staying informed, but you know, really we're just like soaking in all this negativity. It's almost like we think if we just keep scrolling we'll magically find the solution to all the world's problems. Right?
Speaker 2:but that never happens. And then we just keep scrolling. We'll magically find the solution to all the world's problems, Right? But that never happens. And then we just end up feeling overwhelmed, helpless, more anxious than before. It's like a vicious cycle.
Speaker 1:It is, and there's this classic example in the guide where you start by reading like one news article about something stressful and then all of a sudden you've read like 10 more.
Speaker 2:And you just feel like you're drowning in despair, right? I bet a lot of our listeners can relate to that, absolutely, it's like a cautionary tale for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's like. At what point does staying informed actually become detrimental to our mental health?
Speaker 2:It's a fine line.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it's a perfect example of how avoidance, even if it feels good in the moment Right it can actually backfire.
Speaker 1:So that brings us to, I think, the crux of this whole thing avoidance.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh.
Speaker 1:So it might feel good to distract ourselves with our phones, right, but are we really solving anything?
Speaker 2:That's like the million-dollar question right Right, Is scrolling actually helping or is it just a temporary band-aid?
Speaker 1:And the guide makes this really powerful point.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It says that avoidance becomes a vicious cycle. We never actually learn how to cope with the real issues causing our anxiety, right, so they just keep coming back stronger.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's like you're trying to fix a broken bone with a band-aid. Yeah, it might cover it up for a little bit, but it doesn't actually address the underlying problem.
Speaker 1:The guide gives this incredibly relatable example. Imagine you need to have this really difficult conversation with someone, but it just feels too overwhelming. So, you end up scrolling online until you're too tired to think straight.
Speaker 2:That's like classic avoidance, and while it's totally understandable, it keeps us from developing the skills we need to, you know, handle those difficult emotions and situations.
Speaker 1:So what does all of this mean for, like those of us who are prone to scrolling until like the wee hours of the morning? What can we actually do to break free?
Speaker 2:That's what we're going to explore in the next part of our deep dive, right, yeah, so we've talked about why we scroll at night, yeah, but now let's get to the good stuff. What can we actually do about it?
Speaker 1:yes, yeah, because knowing the why doesn't always translate into better sleep right our source material has some interesting ideas here.
Speaker 2:All right, and one of the simplest but I think often overlooked, is light ah, yes, light uh-huh the like arch nemesis of melatonin right what's so fascinating is how sensitive our brains are to those late cues yeah even just the blue light from our devices can really trick our bodies into thinking it's daytime oh, wow so it ends up disrupting our natural sleep-wake cycle. Yeah, it's like biological. Oh wow, so it ends up disrupting our natural sleep-wake cycle. Yeah, it's like biological miscommunication.
Speaker 1:Totally so. Just one more video before bed is actually doing like double damage keeping us alert and messing with our melatonin production.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Which is the thing that helps us fall asleep.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and if we look at the bigger picture, it's not just about, like, the quantity of sleep, but the quality too. So when our sleep is all disrupted by late night scrolling, we end up with like this really shallow, fragmented sleep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you wake up feeling groggy, total and like you can't handle your day.
Speaker 2:And less able to handle the day exactly.
Speaker 1:Which, ironically, could make us even more likely to reach for our phone for comfort the next night.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. It's a frustrating cycle.
Speaker 1:It is. So what's the solution? Like are we all doomed to become tech free hermits after sunset?
Speaker 2:Not at all. Even small changes can make a really big difference. The guide suggests setting what they call a digital curfew. Okay so like a specific time each night.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Where you just switch off all your devices.
Speaker 1:A bedtime for our phones.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Exactly, I love that yeah.
Speaker 2:But I mean that's easier said than done, right? Yeah, what about like that fear of missing out, that nagging feeling that like something exciting might be happening online?
Speaker 1:That's where I think mindfulness comes in. The guide talks a lot about really paying attention to how scrolling actually makes you feel.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Not just in the moment, yeah, but afterward too. So like do you feel more relaxed?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Or do you feel more wired and anxious?
Speaker 2:It's so interesting how like we're so used to this scrolling habit that we don't even stop to question it.
Speaker 1:But if we actually pause and notice how it's affecting us mentally and physically, we might be more likely to change.
Speaker 2:It's all about self-awareness. It helps us break free from autopilot and make choices that really align with our well-being.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we've got like a digital curfew and some mindfulness in the mix.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What else can we do to like create a more calming bedtime routine?
Speaker 2:The guide suggests replacing that scrolling with activities that actually like promote relaxation and sleep. Okay so think like warm baths reading an actual physical book.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Maybe some gentle stretching. Hi or listening to some calming music.
Speaker 1:It's like creating that wind down ritual right. That signals to our body and mind okay, it's time to rest now.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Kind of like a lullaby for grownups.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 1:So this brings up a really important question.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:What about those, like underlying anxieties that are driving us to school in the first place? How do we deal with those?
Speaker 2:That's where things get really interesting, I think. Okay, the guide talks a lot about the importance of addressing the root cause of that anxiety. Yes, not just like masking the symptoms.
Speaker 1:So it's not enough to just like slap a digital detox band-aid on it Exactly. We need to like figure out what's really going on underneath.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and that might involve exploring different coping mechanisms.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So think like journaling talking to a therapist.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Practicing mindfulness techniques to manage stress Right. It's about finding what works for you.
Speaker 1:It's about like building resilience right.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Like building those internal tools that can help us navigate those challenges.
Speaker 2:And it's about recognizing that anxiety is a normal human emotion. You don't need to eliminate it entirely, but we can learn how to manage it effectively. Right, that's like a key part of this whole journey.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the guide has this like really thought provoking question. Okay, it says, when you find yourself staying up late, scrolling, avoiding sleep, what's one thing you could do to like gently calm your mind and prepare for rest.
Speaker 2:It's such a good question.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It makes you really stop and think. Yeah, it encourages you to just like break free from autopilot Totally.
Speaker 1:And make a conscious choice. I like how it really like puts that power back in the listener's hands.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know, it's not like a one size fits all solution. It's about finding what works best for each individual.
Speaker 2:And that's the beauty of this whole deep dive, I think. It's about empowering you with that knowledge and the tools so that you can make choices that support your well-being.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we've covered a lot here. We talked about light, mindfulness, healthy bedtime routines, addressing those anxieties. We talked about setting boundaries with social media during the day.
Speaker 2:And yet there's one final piece of this puzzle that I think is absolutely crucial.
Speaker 1:I'm all ears. What is it?
Speaker 2:It's about cultivating compassion for ourselves.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's an interesting one. Tell me more.
Speaker 2:It's so easy to get trapped in that cycle of guilt and shame when we find ourselves scrolling late into the night. We beat ourselves up for not having enough willpower, for not being able to just put the phone down.
Speaker 1:It's true, we can be our own worst critics.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, and that kind of self-criticism it's not helpful. It actually makes the anxiety worse.
Speaker 1:It adds fuel to the fire, exactly. So how do we cultivate compassion for ourselves, especially when we're in it?
Speaker 2:It starts with recognizing that we're all human. We all have those moments of weakness. We all make mistakes. It's about treating ourselves with the same kindness and understanding that we would offer to a loved one who is struggling.
Speaker 1:It's like recognizing that we're doing the best we can. Yeah, exactly, and the resources we have in this moment.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and it's also about remembering that change takes time.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It's not about being perfect. It's about making progress. Right One small step at a time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. It's a good reminder that we're all kind of like navigating this digital age together. It's okay to like stumble along the way.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and by offering ourselves that compassion we create space for growth and learning, a more supportive inner environment.
Speaker 1:So we've talked about the why, the what and even, like, the how of breaking free from this scrolling cycle.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What's like the key takeaway you want our listeners to remember?
Speaker 2:That's what we're going to discuss in the final part of our deep dive.
Speaker 1:So we've covered so much in this deep dive. You know everything from that revenge, bedtime procrastination to the like allure of doom scroll. Yeah, it's been a lot to the allure of doom scroll. Yeah, it's been a lot and we've explored those digital curfews and how important it is to really address those deeper anxieties.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Even the power of self-compassion. It's been like a journey.
Speaker 2:It has been a journey and amidst all these insights and strategies, there's this connecting thread I think is really worth pointing out.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, I always love when we can like tie everything together. So what is that common theme?
Speaker 2:It's about taking back control, you know. It's about realizing we're not powerless against these devices.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Or even our anxieties, like we can make choices that support our well-being, yeah, even when those choices feel hard.
Speaker 1:So it's not about like demonizing technology or swearing off our phones forever.
Speaker 2:No, not at all, it's about being more mindful. Right.
Speaker 1:And intentional about how we use them.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Rather than letting them use us.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and it's about remembering that, like true connection, the kind that really nourishes us, is rarely found at the bottom of that endless scroll.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It's found in those moments of presence, in face-to-face interactions, in the activities that bring us joy and a sense of purpose.
Speaker 1:So, as we're wrapping up this deep dive, okay, what's the one thing you want our listeners to like? Walk away with.
Speaker 2:I think it goes back to that like really powerful question from the guide what's one thing you can do tonight to calm your mind instead of scrolling?
Speaker 1:It is such a simple question, but it really does like make you stop and think.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Right, like it encourages us to break free from that that autopilot mode.
Speaker 2:Yes and make a conscious choice. It reminds us we have options. We don't have to be slaves to our habits. You know we can choose to write like a different ending to our nighttime story.
Speaker 1:That's a beautiful way to put it.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:And it's such a hopeful message. Right yeah. By understanding, like the, why behind our sprawling habits, we can start making choices that lead to better sleep, less anxiety and a deeper sense of connection with ourselves and the world around us.
Speaker 2:It's not about perfection, it's about progress. Right One mindful choice at a time.
Speaker 1:Love that Well to our listeners. Put down the phone, take a deep breath and give yourself permission to rest. You deserve it. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive. See you next time.