#152 Digital Sunset

Bedtime for Your Electronics

In our last +1, we talked about Digital Sabbaticals.

Today, let’s talk about Digital Sunsets.

I’m not 100% sure if I coined that phrase or not but I love it. (Laughing.)

Here’s the idea: We know that THE #1 obstacle to getting a good night of sleep is using your technology way too late. (We also know that, unfortunately, most people do that.)

Therefore, if we want to have the best shot at a great night of sleep so we can be supercharged for the next day AND have a life outside of work and technology and entertainment, we’d be very wise to TURN OFF ALL THE ELECTRONICS early.

I like to be extreme with this so my cut-off is super early: sunset. The sun goes down and all electronics go off.

That’s a digital sunset.

Sun goes down:

Computer? Off.

Smartphone? Off.

TV? Don’t have one but if we did that would be OFF.

We even take it a step further and only use non-blue-light lights in the bathroom and bedroom as we go through our night-time ritual with the fam. Why? Well, our four-year-old son Emerson will tell you, “Blue light disrupts your melatonin”—which we want to limit if we want to get a good night of sleep.

So…

Today’s +1.

By when will YOU turn off your electronics tonight?

All the sleep experts say AT LEAST one hour before your hoped-for bedtime is wise. I think even more time before is wiser if you’re really serious about sleep—which, again, I think you should be.

As I’ve said before (and I promise to say again), we need to make the decision: Do we want to be entertained or do we want to be actualized? Let’s choose wisely.

Go dark. Connect with your family and connect with your highest self.

+1. +1. +1.