The last hour belongs to the phone
Two in three took a phone to bed. On those nights they slept 41 minutes less, and the minutes went missing at the start.
Who takes the phone to bed
940 of 1,412 sleepers kept a phone within reach on most nights. Students were the most likely (86%), retirees the least (38%). Almost everyone who did said it was for the alarm.
The 41 minutes
Phone-in-reach sleepers slept a median 6h 18m. Those who charged it in another room slept 7h 00m. Most of the gap sat at the start of the night: they got into bed at the same time and fell asleep later.
Wake-ups and notifications
The ring counted 1.6 more wake-ups a night when a phone was in reach. Most lasted under three minutes and did not make it into the morning diary.
The two-week experiment
In weeks three and four we asked 200 volunteers to charge the phone outside the bedroom and buy a £9 alarm clock. 146 managed at least ten nights. Their median sleep rose by 34 minutes, and it stayed up in the follow-up week.
The chart
Hours asleep, split by where the phone spent the night. Median lines for each group.
Key findings
Three numbers to take away.
Phone in reach: 6h 18m median sleep. Phone outside: 7h 00m.
1.6 more wake-ups a night with the phone in reach.
A two-week switch added 34 minutes for those who kept it up.
Sleeper diaries
