Put the phone down and go to sleep
“Five more minutes” in bed turns into an hour of scrolling and a tired morning. FocusMe blocks the apps and sites that keep you up, every night, at the time you choose.
Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No credit card required.
Sound familiar?
- You get into bed at 11 and put the phone down at 1.
- You don’t even enjoy it; you just keep going.
- Mornings start tired, and you reach for the phone first thing.
- You’ve tried leaving it in another room, and fetched it back.
At the end of the day, willpower is at its lowest and the feed is at its best. A bedtime that’s decided in advance takes the late-night choice off the table.
Signs late-night scrolling has gone past a habit
Checking your phone in bed now and then is normal. It’s worth taking a closer look if several of these sound like you:
- You regularly go to sleep much later than you meant to because of your phone.
- You scroll through news or comments that leave you anxious, and keep going.
- You feel tired most mornings, even on days you could have slept enough.
- You stay up late to get “time for yourself” after a busy day.
- You reach for your phone if you wake in the night.
There’s a name for that fourth one: revenge bedtime procrastination, staying up late to claw back free time the day didn’t give you. If poor sleep is affecting your health or mood, talking to your GP or doctor is a good first step.
Why it’s so hard to stop
The apps on your phone are designed to be endless. There’s no last page of the feed, no final video, no moment where the app tells you you’re done. Each swipe might bring something new, so the next one always feels worth it.
Late at night, the odds are stacked even further. You’re tired, your self-control has been used up by the day, and the phone is in your hand already. Doomscrolling makes it worse: worrying news keeps you alert precisely when you want to wind down. Deciding your bedtime earlier in the day, and letting something else enforce it, works far better than relying on the version of you at midnight.
How FocusMe helps
A digital curfew for your phone. Block social media, video and news apps from bedtime until morning on Android and iPhone. Schedules can run overnight, straight past midnight.
A curfew for your computer too. Lock the whole computer from, say, 22:30 to 06:00, so “just checking one thing” isn’t an option.
Get a warning first. On your computer, FocusMe can warn you before the curfew starts, so you can finish what you’re doing.
Keep what you need. Calls always get through, and you choose which apps stay usable. Only the things that keep you up are blocked.
Make it stick. The plan comes back every night by itself, and you choose how hard it is to stop once it’s running.
Start in three steps
Download FocusMe on your phone and computer, and start your free trial.
Choose the apps and sites that keep you up at night.
Set your bedtime and wake-up time, choose how strict, and start the plan.
Tips that help alongside FocusMe
- Charge your phone outside the bedroom and use a cheap alarm clock instead.
- Turn on your phone’s bedtime mode. iPhone’s Sleep Focus and Android’s Bedtime mode quieten notifications overnight.
- Set a wind-down time 30 minutes before bed, and swap the phone for a book, a podcast or a shower.
- Make time for yourself earlier in the evening, so you don’t feel you have to steal it from your sleep.
- Keep the same wake-up time, weekends included. A steady morning makes an earlier night easier.
- If you wake in the night, leave the phone where it is. Checking it is the quickest way to stay awake.
Step-by-step guides: how to block YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Reddit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use my alarm and take calls?
Yes. FocusMe blocks only the apps and sites you choose, and calls always get through. Your alarm and messages work as normal unless you add them to the plan.
Can I have a later bedtime at the weekend?
Yes. On your computer, each day of the week can have its own hours, so Friday and Saturday can start later. On your phone, a separate weekend plan does the same.
What if I need my computer late one night?
You set how strict the plan is. A lighter setting lets you stop it with a little effort; a strict one holds until morning.
Will this help me sleep better?
FocusMe can’t promise better sleep, but it removes the scrolling that keeps you awake past bedtime. That’s the part willpower alone struggles to fix.
What is doomscrolling?
Scrolling through a stream of bad news or angry posts, often late at night, long after it stops being useful. Blocking news and social apps after a set time cuts it off at the source.
What time should my curfew start?
Work back from when you need to get up. If you want eight hours and wake at 7, a curfew at 10:30 gives you half an hour to wind down.
Make tonight the night you get to bed on time.
Try FocusMe free for 14 days. Full features, full support, no credit card required.
Start your free trial