Ever find yourself lying in bed, scrolling through bad news, stressful headlines, or endless social media posts—long past your bedtime? You’re not alone. Nighttime doomscrolling is one of the most common yet damaging habits in today’s digital world.
In this post, we’ll explore how to stop doomscrolling at night, why it happens, and simple steps you can take to create healthier nighttime routines.
What Is Doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling is the habit of consuming large amounts of negative news or distressing content—especially through social media—often without realizing how much time is passing. It’s fueled by our brain’s natural focus on threats and bad news, also known as negativity bias.
While staying informed is important, the endless stream of alarming content can increase anxiety, disrupt sleep, and harm mental health.
Why Doomscrolling at Night Is Worse
Evening is when your brain needs to slow down and prepare for rest. But when you’re doomscrolling, you’re doing the opposite:
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Stimulating your mind with distressing content
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Exposing yourself to blue light, which disrupts melatonin
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Triggering anxiety that makes it harder to fall asleep
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Training your brain to associate your bed with stress
Knowing how to stop doomscrolling—especially before bed—can drastically improve your sleep, mood, and energy.
7 Proven Tips on How to Stop Doomscrolling at Night
1. Create a Screen Curfew
Set a digital cutoff time—ideally 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Use your phone’s settings or apps like Freedom, Forest, or OneSec to block access after that time.
2. Move Your Phone Out of Reach
Charge your phone outside your bedroom or across the room. The more effort it takes to reach it, the less likely you’ll scroll.
3. Use Blue Light Filters or Grayscale Mode
Turn on Night Shift (iOS) or Night Mode (Android) to reduce blue light exposure. You can also set your phone to grayscale at night—it makes content less visually stimulating and less tempting to scroll.
4. Replace the Habit with Something Calming
Instead of scrolling, build a relaxing routine:
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Read a physical book
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Listen to calming music or a sleep podcast
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Journal your thoughts
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Practice deep breathing or meditation
5. Set a Positive Nighttime Intention
Before getting into bed, ask yourself:
“How do I want to feel as I fall asleep?”
Remind yourself that doomscrolling won’t bring peace, solutions, or sleep.
6. Unfollow and Mute Negative Triggers
Curate your social media feed. Unfollow accounts that post distressing content late at night. Follow pages that uplift or educate you instead.
7. Be Gentle With Yourself
Breaking any habit takes time. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. Just reset the next night with small adjustments.
Real-Life Example: A 10-Minute Wind-Down Routine
Here’s a sample routine you can try tonight:
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9:30 PM: Turn on Do Not Disturb mode
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9:35 PM: Dim the lights and play soft background music
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9:40 PM: Journal 3 things you’re grateful for
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9:45 PM: Read a chapter of a book or do a short meditation
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10:00 PM: Lights out, no screens in hand
In just 30 minutes, you’ll move from doomscrolling to restful sleep.
Final Thoughts: You Can Break the Cycle
Learning how to stop doomscrolling—especially at night—is about protecting your peace and honoring your need for rest. When you shut off the negative input, you open the door to better sleep, more energy, and a clearer mind in the morning.
📴 Ready to try it tonight? Start small—set a curfew, move your phone, and replace scrolling with calm. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.
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