This is a safe space to admit that when we cozy up in our beds at night, the urge to doomscroll through our smartphones is a little too appealing. But, it's not very cohesive with getting a good night's sleep.
I always put my phone down with purpose on my nightstand, screen down (like that'll make a difference). And then, I find any little excuse to pick it back up and keep scrolling.
But, if I was to tuck it in to sleep in a tiny phone-sized bed, that could make all the difference — and IKEA clearly agrees. It's created a tiny version of one of its beds to encourage you to put your phone down. And, there's a fun little challenge that comes along with it.
If you complete the challenge successfully, you could be in for a chance to win a prize. For now, it's only available in the UAE, but just the idea of having a tiny phone bed is inspiring me to quit the doomscrolling and sew some tiny phone-sized bedsheets.
Snooze fest
Staring at your phone in bed not only eats up a lot of your time, but it's time that you could be getting some restorative sleep. Even when I tell myself, "I'll just look for ten minutes", it somehow turns into an hour, and then I feel pretty bad about myself — tired and regretful.
But, then I found out about this fun idea from IKEA that's all about encouraging you to give your phone some downtime, too. The IKEA Phone Sleep Collection is a range of mini IKEA-style beds that come with a built-in NFC tag, meaning you can keep track of the sleep you're getting, and that plays into the challenge I'll get into below.
I absolutely love the idea. It gives a purpose and gamifies the whole experience
I absolutely love the idea. It gives a purpose and gamifies the whole experience, meaning I can have fun with it while also achieving my goals to stop doomscrolling and wasting my time. And with a tiny bed? Well, that's just too cute to miss out on.
The challenge
IKEA is calling it the '7-Day Phone Sleep Challenge' and all you have to do is tuck your phone into one of the special beds at night and the integrated NFC tag will record how much sleep your phone is getting — and hopefully you, too.
This data is recorded in the IKEA app, and anyone who lets their phone rest in the little beds for seven hours each night for seven consecutive nights receives an AED $100 voucher (approximately $27) to spend at IKEA.
While I've got my eye on a few fall decor items that I'd love to buy with that voucher, unfortunately, the challenge is only running in the UAE.
But that doesn't mean you can't run your own one.
Embrace the challenge
I recently discovered The Brick, as featured above, which is all about blocking various apps on your phone to stop you from getting distracted.
Used alongside a subscription-free app, you can set custom modes, track your usage, reduce your screen time and catch up on sleep.
With the absence of the IKEA challenge globally, a product like the Brick could help you set your own challenge to disable your phone and see how much time you can spend away from your screen.
I've got a real urge to give it a go, although I would prefer to have a little bed to make it extra fun. Do you think you'd complete this challenge? Maybe promise yourself a treat at the end of it — and who knows, it might become your new habit.
