• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
HealthThe Mobile Executive

Here’s Why You Can’t Stop Hitting the Snooze Button

By
Martha C. White
Martha C. White
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Martha C. White
Martha C. White
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 23, 2017, 4:16 PM ET
Woman alseep next to smart phone
Close up of a young woman fall asleep next to smart phonePhotograph by Geber86—iStockphoto/Getty Images

This article originally appeared on Money.

If you wake up every morning groggy, it might not be your pillow or the temperature in the room that’s keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep: It could be your smartphone addiction.

A new study from Deloitte found that one third of adults check their phones if they wake up in the middle of the night, as do nearly half of those under the age of 35.

Researchers have known for years that the blue-ish light smartphone screens emit can make it harder to fall back asleep. A small subset of this late-night phone-checking group makes it even harder on themselves, though, reading and even responding to work emails during the wee hours, a behavior that’s more common among users under the age of 35.

Roughly one in 10 smartphone users will check text messages in the middle of the night, a figure that climbs to more than one in five for the under-35 age group.

Deloitte, which surveyed the habits of more than 4,000 mobile phone users in the U.K., also found that 10% of people look at their phone the instant they wake up, and a third do so within five minutes. More than a quarter of us look at our phones within five minutes of going to bed. That’s far too short a window, according to the report. “Exposure to light, including that from a screen just before going to sleep, can confuse the brain into thinking it is still daytime, and inhibit the process of falling asleep,” the study said. Experts have recommended an hour of screen-free time before bed, but Deloitte found that fewer than 25% of people actually do this.

One suggestion the study offers is to put the phone out of reach instead of right on the nightstand to resist the temptation, but for many people, that would also mean having to jump out of bed and go across the room to turn off their alarm in the morning. Another option would be to download an app that tracks your screen time—some, meant for parents who want to limit their kids’ time with electronic devices, even have a lockout function after a set time period—or rewards you for staying off your device.

Alternately, if you can’t resist late-night email-checking, you might want to consider swapping out the blue screen tint for a reddish or orange one, which scientists say is less disruptive to sleep. Apple’s iOS 9.3 has a feature called Night Shift that switches to a red-hued background; a similar app for Android users is Twilight. But really, you should just turn it off. That email from your boss will still be there in the morning.

About the Authors
By Martha C. White
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Money
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Commentary
Yes, you're getting a bigger tax refund. Your kids won't thank you for the $3 trillion it's adding to the deficit
By Daniel BunnJanuary 26, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Despite running $75 billion automaker General Motors, CEO Mary Barra still responds to ‘every single letter’ she gets by hand
By Preston ForeJanuary 26, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
An unusual Fed ‘rate check’ triggered a free fall in the U.S. dollar and investors are fleeing into gold
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 26, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, January 26, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJanuary 26, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, January 27, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJanuary 27, 2026
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
'The Bermuda Triangle of Talent': 27-year-old Oxford grad turned down McKinsey and Morgan Stanley to find out why Gen Z’s smartest keep selling out
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 25, 2026
2 days ago

Latest in Health

People walk outside of a WeWork office building in London.
Future of WorkOffice Culture
Amazon and JPMorgan led the Fortune 500 in returning to the office 5 days a week. Now they’re leading a coworking comeback
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 27, 2026
3 hours ago
Healthbeauty
5 Best Red Light Therapy Panels of 2026: Personally Tested
By Christina SnyderJanuary 27, 2026
3 hours ago
Graphic reads: Fortune Titans and Disruptors of Industry with Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, Hosted by Alyson Shontell (both pictured).
C-SuiteFortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla stared down the COVID-19 pandemic. Now he has his eyes set on cancer 
By Fortune EditorsJanuary 27, 2026
15 hours ago
Palantir CEO Alex Karp during an interview at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
InnovationImmigration
Palantir/ICE connections draw fire as questions raised about tool tracking Medicaid data to find people to arrest
By Tristan BoveJanuary 26, 2026
1 day ago
MagazineLuxury
The $20,000 longevity weekend for those who recognize that more time is the ultimate luxury
By Jaclyn TropJanuary 25, 2026
2 days ago
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands at a podium beside a board that depicts an upside-down food pyramid.
HealthFood and drink
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is redefining the ‘healthy’ American diet—and food companies are making 5 major changes to keep up
By Jake AngeloJanuary 25, 2026
3 days ago