Screen Sunset: A Chill Shut-Down Routine for Your Brain

You don’t have to ditch your phone forever—just find a way that makes screen time work best for you.

A Screen Sunset is a short, repeatable routine that helps you switch off fast and sleep easier.

The 30–45 Minute Screen Sunset

T-45: Wrap + Reset (5–10 mins)

* Close open tabs/apps.
* Jot tomorrow’s top 1–3 tasks.
* Send any “last messages” you’ll worry about later.

T-35: Soften the Tech (2 mins)

* Brightness ↓
* Night mode / blue-light filter ON
* Volume to low or silent

T-33: Downshift (5 mins)

* 2–3 rounds of box breathing 4-4-4-4 or one minute of slow nose breathing.
* Quick stretch: neck rolls, shoulder circles.

T-28: Swap the Stimulus (10–15 mins)

Pick ONE low-stim thing (no doom-scrolling):

* Shower, skincare, or tidy a tiny area of your room
* Light reading, sudoku, doodling, crochet
* Quiet playlist or white noise

T-12: Bed Prep (5 mins)

* Water by bed, lights dim, room cool
* Phone goes to its “sleep home” (charging spot away from your bed)

T-7: Final Fade (5–7 mins)

* Lie down, try 4-7-8 breathing or a body scan
* If thoughts race: write them down once, then back to breathing

Your Screen Sunset Checklist

✅ Close tabs + plan tomorrow’s top 1–3
✅ Brightness down + night mode on
✅ DND/Focus enabled until morning
✅ 1 minute of calm breathing
✅ One low-stim activity (no feeds)
✅ Phone parked to charge away from bed
✅ Lights low, room cool, water ready

Make It Automatic: Phone Settings That Help

iOS (iPhone)

Focus → Sleep: Schedule it nightly; allow only VIP calls.
Bedtime/Wind Down (Health app): set wind-down minutes before sleep.
Night Shift: Sunset to sunrise.
Grayscale: Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size → Colour Filters → Grayscale (add to Accessibility Shortcut for a triple-click).
App Limits: Screen Time → App Limits (cap social/short-video apps access at night, or even create a limit for your daily use, if you find it hard to track time spent).
Silence Notifications: Deliver Quietly or Scheduled Summary after a set time.

Android (names vary by phone)

Bedtime Mode (Digital Wellbeing): schedule DND + grayscale + always-on display off.
Focus Mode: Pause distracting apps in one tap.
Night Light: Sunset to sunrise.
App Timers: Set nightly limits on social/short-video apps.
Notification Channels: Turn off non-urgent categories; keep calls/alarms only.

Bonus hardware habits

Cheap alarm clock → keeps your phone out of bed.
A long charging cable in another spot → “phone parking place.”
Blue-light-filter glasses aren’t magic; dimming and distance matter more.

Speed Sunset (5–10 Minutes, Emergency Version)

* DND/Focus ON, brightness down, night mode on
* Park phone to charge outside bed
* One minute of breathing + quick stretch
* Lights down, water ready, lie down and do 4-7-8 once

Tiny Tips That Stick

🔌 Pair it with a cue: “When I plug in my phone, I start Screen Sunset.”

📔 Keep a paperback by the pillow so “no phone” isn’t “nothing.”

😊 If you slip, restart—no guilt, just tap back into the routine.

⏰ Weekend tweak: start 15 minutes later, but keep the steps.

Heads-up: If screen time feels out of control or sleep issues are heavy, chatting with a trusted adult or a health professional can help. You deserve rest.