Turn Your Phone into a Sleeper Cell

Is your smartphone keeping you from restful sleep? Maybe this easy-to-use digital clock will help you put it away for the night. It sure worked for me.

Maybe you saw my earlier article about “slaying your anti-sleep gremlins.” I’m talking about those seemingly quick and innocent midnight-activities that can readily transmogrify into grotesque, gargoyle-conjuring, sleep killers. The kind that will leave your mind spinning down a labyrinthine cascade of restless, sleepless cogitations, forcing you to face the following day feeling like a semi-numbed zombie. 

My cell phone, acting like a mobile, midnight, electronic Ouija-pad, will sometimes beckon my soul to summon those sleep-sucking ghouls. 

How do I overcome my sleep-killing cell phone?

I’ve worked at fighting off those midnight cell phone temptations with varying degrees of success. I’ll go for several nights without giving in and then it happens: the urge will overcome my best defenses, and I’ll pick up the phone for just a “quick spin,” only to doom any chance at a full night of restful sleep. While there’s a simple and obvious solution – keeping the phone out of reach – my need to check in on the time has, until very recently, killed off that option.

I need to know what time it is. I just do. If I wake up after a vivid dream, or for any other reason, I like to glance at the clock to get a read on how many hours I’ve been asleep and how many hours I have left before it’s time to get up. If I absolutely need to make sure I’m out of bed by a specified time, then I’ll need to set an alarm so that I don’t blow it. My smartphone can take care of all of that: its easy-to-read clock and its built-in alarm functions, both combine to make for a convenient solution. 

But wait a minute… I used to manage handily before smartphones were ever a thing. Maybe it’s time to check out some old tech.

Eureka! Digital clocks are still a thing and they’re better than ever.

A quick spin on Amazon and my search for throwback tech was quickly rewarded. With a couple of quick clicks, I ended up with the greatest nighttime clock I’ve ever owned, delivered right to my doorstep within a day. And this thing works like a charm: it stays dark until I need it, and then with a simple light tap of it anywhere on my bed stand, it lights up to display the time, the date and even the temperature. (That’s right, it has a built-in thermometer!) Its alarm function is great; it’s easy to set, easy to turn off and it’s even easier to manage than the alarm on my “smart”-phone. All that for under 10 bucks, so what’s not to like? 

My shiny new digital clock did the trick!

That new clock has empowered me to keep the smartphone out of reach at night. Those late night, gremlin-summoning, cell phone séance-sessions have now given way to greater opportunities for full nights of sound, restful sleep.