# What is digital sunset and why you need it in the evening
Every evening, a small, inconspicuous ritual takes place that has an enormous impact on how we wake up the next day. We reach for our phone, check messages, scroll through social media, watch one more episode of our favourite series – and then wonder why we wake up tired, irritable, and feeling as though we haven't slept at all. Yet the answer to this mystery lies largely in that final hour before we turn off the light.
The concept of the so-called digital sunset – the deliberate disconnection from screens in the last sixty minutes of the day – is no passing wellness trend. It is a practice deeply rooted in an understanding of human biology, brain rhythms, and the way modern technology disrupts processes that evolution has been building within us for hundreds of thousands of years.
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Why screens and the brain don't mix before bedtime
The human brain is a fascinating machine, but in one respect it is surprisingly easy to fool: it cannot reliably distinguish between natural light and the light emitted by a smartphone or computer display. The key to understanding the entire problem is blue light – the short-wavelength portion of the spectrum that stimulates specialised light-sensitive cells in the retina called ipRGCs. These cells send a signal directly to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus, which governs our biological clock, and from there to the pineal gland, which produces melatonin.
Melatonin is the sleep hormone. Its levels naturally begin to rise roughly two hours before the body expects to fall asleep – and it is precisely this increase that gives us the characteristic feeling of drowsiness that naturally draws us to bed. However, blue light from screens slows or completely blocks this process. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has shown that exposure to blue light in the evening can suppress melatonin production by up to three hours. This represents an enormous shift in biological rhythm, which then manifests as an inability to fall asleep, restless sleep, or early waking.
But light is only part of the story. Equally important – and perhaps even more insidious – is the mental stimulation that screens bring. Social media is designed to hold attention for as long as possible: endless scrolling, notifications, likes, comments. Each of these interactions triggers small bursts of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with reward and motivation. Rather than calming down and preparing for rest, the brain remains on standby, primed for the next stimulus. Falling asleep after half an hour of such "relaxation" is then about as difficult as falling asleep immediately after an heated argument or a cup of strong coffee.
Consider Martina, a thirty-four-year-old project manager from Brno, who complained of chronic fatigue and difficulty falling asleep. Her evening routine looked like this: after dinner she checked her work emails, then scrolled Instagram for an hour, and read the news just before bed. Although she went to bed at a reasonable hour, she wouldn't fall asleep until after midnight and woke up exhausted in the morning. Only when she began consciously putting her phone away an hour before bedtime did she find that she was falling asleep within twenty minutes and waking up feeling genuinely rested.
The digital sunset in practice: what happens when we turn off the screens
The term "digital sunset" itself nicely captures the essence of the whole practice. Just as a natural sunset gradually reduces the intensity of light and signals to the body that night is approaching, consciously disconnecting from technology in the last sixty minutes of the day allows the brain and body to transition into a natural pre-sleep state.
What actually happens in the body when we turn off the screens? First and foremost, melatonin levels begin to rise as the brain stops receiving misleading signals about the time of day. Heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and body temperature decreases slightly – all physiological signs of the transition into a resting state. The brain begins shifting from active beta waves to calmer alpha waves, which are typical of a state of relaxation and light drowsiness. It is precisely in this state that the transition into deep sleep is most fluid and natural.
The World Health Organization and leading sleep research institutions, such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have long recommended limiting screen exposure before bedtime as one of the key pillars of sleep hygiene. Yet this is a recommendation that most people know but few actually follow.
As neuroscientist and sleep research professor Matthew Walker noted in his book Why We Sleep: "Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day." And the quality of that sleep begins – or unfortunately ends – with what we do in the last hour before we close our eyes.
What instead of screens? Alternatives that actually work
Knowing the problem is one thing, but what to do about it practically? One of the most common objections is that people don't know what to replace scrolling with. An evening hour without a phone seems empty or boring to them – and that in itself says something about how accustomed we have become to digital stimulation.
Yet there are plenty of options. Reading a physical book is one of the best-documented alternatives: it reduces stress by up to 68% (according to research from the University of Sussex) and naturally induces drowsiness without aggressive light stimulation. Warm candlelight or a lamp with a warm colour temperature (below 3000 K) also supports the natural release of melatonin.
Other popular alternatives include:
- Light stretching or yoga – releases muscular tension accumulated throughout the day and activates the parasympathetic nervous system
- Meditation or breathing exercises – conscious work with the breath can significantly reduce cortisol levels in just five minutes
- Journalling – transferring thoughts onto paper helps to "empty" the mind of worries and unfinished tasks that would otherwise disturb sleep
- Quiet conversation with loved ones – genuine, non-digital social interaction has a demonstrably positive effect on psychological wellbeing
- A warm bath or shower – the drop in body temperature after warming the body paradoxically helps you fall asleep more quickly
The bedroom environment also matters. A room temperature of around 18–19 °C, adequate blackout curtains, and the absence of any glowing displays – even a standby LED on a television or charger – all contribute to the brain truly perceiving the bedroom as a place of rest, rather than an extension of the work or entertainment space.
The conscious approach to sleep also extends to the choice of products that support this environment. Natural materials in the bedroom – from cotton or linen bedding to wooden accessories and aromatherapy candles – contribute to a sense of calm and naturalness that the digital world, by its very nature, cannot offer.
The evening light ritual also deserves special attention. Replacing bright overhead lighting with dimmed lamps emitting warm light can be a surprisingly effective step that requires no particular willpower or discipline – the body simply responds to light cues and adapts accordingly. The same logic underlies special blue-light-blocking glasses, which can serve as a compromise for those who cannot or do not wish to give up screens entirely in the late hours – they are not, however, a substitute for genuine disconnection.
The long-term effect of a regular digital sunset is also noteworthy. People who have incorporated this practice into their daily routine report not only better sleep, but also greater ability to concentrate during the day, fewer feelings of anxiety, and a generally more pleasant relationship with their own body and its natural rhythms. This is no coincidence – quality sleep underpins virtually all cognitive and emotional functions, from memory and creativity to emotional regulation and immune response.
The modern world pushes us to be constantly available, constantly informed, constantly online. But the body has not changed biologically over the past two hundred years of technological progress – it needs darkness, quiet, and natural rhythms just as much as our Palaeolithic ancestors needed them by the fire. The last sixty minutes of the day is a small but powerful window in which it is decided how we will wake up tomorrow – and, to a considerable extent, how we will feel in the long term. Conscious management of this time is neither a luxury nor an eccentricity. It is one of the simplest and most accessible investments in one's own health that anyone can make – without any special equipment, app, or subscription.
