A $16 alarm clock stopped my morning doomscrolling

I grew up using my smartphone as an alarm and watched both my mornings and evenings devolve into doomscrolling. In September 2024 I bought a $16 analog alarm clock and was surprised by how quickly some habits broke. The hardest hurdle was the fear that the clock would fail; once I moved my phone out of the bedroom to charge overnight I stopped waking up to my screen.

The change improved my sleep and bedtime routine. Without a phone at my bedside I stopped doomscrolling before bed, started reading and journaling more, and broke the habit of checking my phone in the middle of the night. Mornings felt different, too. Delaying the dopamine hit from social apps made simple tasks — unloading the dishwasher or making breakfast — feel easier.

"When we wake up, the brain is transitioning from sleep to full alertness. During this period, systems responsible for self-control, emotional regulation, and sustained attention are not yet operating at their optimal level," said Antonio Kalentzis.