Digital sunsets are a game-changer: How to sign off and get some high-quality Zs

In Brooklyn, New York, there’s a group of teenagers who have taken a stand against social media and technology. These idealistic youngsters, many of whom own an old-school flip phone or no phone at all, meet weekly to partake in analog activities like readings books, drawing, painting, or just listening to the wind. Extracting themselves from “the dopamine treadmill of posting to social media, coveting likes, and forming online personas” seems to have a positive effect on their mental health, not to mention, helps them to cultivate a greater awareness of themselves and their surroundings.?

Reading about their “Luddite Club,” I couldn’t help but think: these teens are onto something.?

The harm of hyperconnectivity

It’s no secret: most of us are glued to our devices.?

A Deloitte survey found that Americans collectively check their phones 8 billion times per day. On an individual level, Americans check their phones 46 times daily. 90% of those surveyed admitted to using their phones in the bathroom—a dirty habit, to say the least. In another survey, 82% of people said smartphones negatively impacted their ability to converse with others and 89% said their devices cause chronic physical pain.?

What’s more, sleep doesn’t come easy when you’re over-connected. As HuffPost explains, “Using devices before bedtime not only sends confusing signals in the form of light, but the content of the visual stimulus also switches on neural networks which then wake up and co-opt conscious cognitive processes into action.” The light and content of our devices fire us up when we’re supposed to be powering down.

So, if hyperconnectivity is hurting us on a social and physical level, why is it so challenging to unplug?

As CEO of my company Jotform, I understand that it’s not an option to just throw my phone into the ocean. Tech does serve multifold purposes—and I’m not reverting to the fax machine anytime soon. That said, it’s possible to form your own version of the Luddite Club with strategic periods of disconnection. A digital sunset is a great place to start.?

Implementing a digital sunset

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” — Homer, The Odyssey

Our days are filled with words and communication. Sleep is how we process the onslaught of information we receive daily. Implementing a digital sunset—disconnecting from all devices before going to bed—is an effective way to get high-quality shut-eye and improve both performance and productivity the following day. In one study, for example, restricting mobile phone use before bedtime for four weeks reduced sleep latency, increased sleep duration, improved sleep quality, reduced pre-sleep arousal, and improved positive affect and working memory. Reason enough to put the phone away before catching some Zs.?

Like any new habit, the best strategy starts with a plan of attack. Here are some pointers to consider.?

Give your bedroom an analog makeover

The National Sleep Foundation recommends turning off all of your devices at least an hour before bedtime. Because even the sight of a device can tempt us to check it—and trigger a cascade of cognitive processes—it’s best to remove temptation from the bedroom altogether. As the saying goes: out of sight, out of mind.?

Stash phones, tablets, and computers in another room. If you must keep a phone close in case of emergency, tuck it away in a drawer (and because I wrote a book on automation, I’d recommend programming nightly Do Not Disturb hours that can only be interrupted by a select few people). Ditch your phone alarm and invest in an alarm clock instead.?

I’m a firm believer that the best way to change a habit is to replace it with a new one. That’s why I’d recommend establishing an analog nightly routine. Choose an alternative activity to fill the minutes (or hours) you used to spend scrolling. Have a cup of herbal tea. Pick up a pen and journal. Create your daily gratitude list. Read a book (just make sure it’s a true paperback, as studies show that using an e-book can delay the onset of sleep).?

Cultivate a routine you’ll look forward to because it reliably relaxes you—rather than keeping you stirring.?

Automate your peace of mind

The compulsion to stay connected arises from various sources. There’s the FOMO that keeps us scrolling Twitter; curiosity that leads us to our old college roommate’s Instagram feed; boredom that compels us to add things to online shopping carts and never click “buy.” Fighting those battles may come down to plain old self-discipline.?

But then there are also genuine anxieties—about bills to pay, security issues, work emergencies, and more—that make it challenging, frightening even, to fully disconnect.?

In my new book, I write about how one of the beauties of automation is that it can automate your peace of mind—meaning you can use tools and technologies to ensure that certain tasks are competently completed, especially those things that tend to keep you up at night.

For example, let’s say your company must regularly unsubscribe users to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It’s a tedious task—sifting through a dozen systems to find data associated with specific individuals and then deleting data manually. But the consequences of non-compliance are hefty. Instead of losing sleep over whether your team properly executes this manual task, you can connect your company’s system to Zapier. Then, the process happens automatically.?

When you automate your peace of mind, you not only spend less time on busywork, but you also spend less time worrying. The ability to disconnect and get a good night’s rest is an invaluable byproduct.

Final thoughts

If you find yourself checking your emails and social media at all hours, then I’d recommend considering implementing a digital sunset. It will take some planning and a touch of self-discipline, but the results are well worth it. You’ll feel sharper and more productive the next day. And when you remove those anxiety-inducing manual tasks from your plate, you’ll have more time to dedicate to the big stuff—tasks and projects that move the needle for you and your career. That’s not something you’ll achieve by mindlessly scrolling Twitter.

Thank you for reading. Feel free to check out my new book,?Automate Your Busywork: Do Less, Achieve More, and Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff