Nearly three-quarters of Americans who live with their spouse or partner bring their mobile phone to bed with them. And it’s taking a toll on relationships.
A new study examined what couples really are up to in the bedroom and found that Americans who bring their phones to bed are nearly twice as likely to spend time on their phone than they are to get romantic with their partner at bedtime.
The study, conducted by Asurion, a global tech solutions company, investigated the bedroom phone habits of 2,000 US adults who live with their spouse or partner, and found that – among those who bring their phone to bed – having sex with their partner was far from the leading bedroom activity during the hour before falling asleep.
In fact, phone use was the #1 activity during the last hour before bedtime. And a quarter said the very last thing they see before shutting their eyes each night is their phone, not their loved one.
Results showed phones are potentially impacting partner communication — respondents and their partners spend an average of three nights a week watching separate screens while in bed.
More than half (55 percent) say they feel they’re missing out on quality time with their “better half” as a result.
Thirty-five percent even say their sex life has been impacted because of their or their spouse’s bedtime phone use.
And a third of couples have discussed the need to reduce phone use in the bedroom to help stay better connected.
“The survey reveals that phones aren’t just changing how we socialize and stay connected, they’re influencing how we relate to each other in our closest relationships,” said Bettie Colombo, Asurion spokesperson. “Asurion’s trained tech experts provide tips and step-by-step guidance for how to get the most from your tech, including suggestions for how to manage your phone use at night to empower you to focus your time on the people that matter most in your life.
“After all, technology is there to help us strengthen connections with those around us, not hinder them.”
The average coupled adult brings their phone to bed more than four nights a week, spending nearly 40 minutes on their phone before going to sleep.
When it’s time to hit the pillow, 93 percent sleep with their device within arm’s reach and nearly 10 percent sleep with the phone right under their pillow.
The pressure to feel connected is real. Seventy-three percent say they feel like they need to be on their phone no matter the time of day or night.
As a result, 51 percent of Americans are interested in learning how to achieve a greater phone-life balance.
To help achieve phone-life balance in the bedroom and get couples’ one-on-one time back on track, Asurion tech experts offer the following suggestions:
- Put your phone on the charger 30 minutes before bed, after setting alarms, so you can unwind without a device stuck to your hand.
- Customize “Do Not Disturb” settings to only allow important or urgent calls and notifications to come through in the evenings and at bedtime.
- When chatting with friends online or via text, initiate wrapping up the conversation earlier in the evening to avoid staying up too late.
- Consider using your smartphone to kickstart activities that you can your partner can do together. For example, play music both you and your significant other enjoy to help get into a romantic mood, or set up a slideshow of memorable moments to watch in bed together.
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