How do I turn off sound notifications at night?

Why Turn Off Notifications at Night?

Getting high-quality sleep is essential for good health and wellbeing. However, notifications from our smartphones and other devices can disrupt sleep by waking us up during the night. According to the Sleep Foundation, interrupted sleep with frequent awakenings negatively affects daytime energy, productivity, mood, and cognitive function [1]. Research also shows that short-term sleep disruptions increase stress and pain sensitivity [2].

To improve sleep quality, it’s recommended to turn off notifications before bedtime. This prevents alerts from triggering awakenings during the night. It also avoids overstimulation or information overload right before sleeping. With fewer distractions, you’re more likely to fall asleep faster, enjoy uninterrupted rest, and wake up feeling refreshed.

Overall, turning off notifications overnight helps protect sleep quality. This allows you to reap the full benefits of restorative rest.

[1] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/interrupted-sleep
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/

Determine Which Apps Send Notifications

The first step is to review the notification settings for all your apps to understand which ones are disrupting your sleep at night. Go into the settings of each app on your device and look for the notifications options. Make a list of the apps that are allowed to send you notifications, especially sound and popup notifications. Pay extra attention to apps that make noise at night when you receive a notification from them.

Some of the most common culprits for nighttime notifications include messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, and Discord. Social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok also frequently send notifications trying to grab your attention. Email apps, news apps, and games are other types of apps that you’ll want to evaluate closely.

As you review each app, take note of which ones seem to be the most disruptive for your sleep. If you have an Android device, you can check the notification history to see which apps have recently sent notifications at night. This can help identify the most problematic apps to focus on first.

By carefully evaluating which apps are allowed to notify you at night, you’ll gain insight into the main sources of disturbance so you can take steps to mute them. This understanding sets the foundation for successfully reducing notifications during your sleep hours.

Mute Notifications Within Each App

One of the easiest ways to stop notifications from apps at night is to directly mute them within each individual app’s notification settings. Here are the steps:

On an iPhone or iPad[1]:

Open the Settings app
Tap Notifications

Scroll down and tap the app you want to adjust notifications for
Toggle off Sounds to mute notification sounds
Customize other notification settings like banners, badges, etc.

On an Android[2]:

Open the Settings app
Tap Apps & Notifications > See All Apps

Select the app
Tap Notifications
Toggle off Sounds to mute notification sounds

Customize other notification settings

Repeating this for each app sending notifications allows you to customize settings app-by-app. This ensures only select apps have notifications silenced at night.

Set Device to Do Not Disturb Mode

One of the most effective ways to turn off notifications at night is to enable Do Not Disturb mode on your device during sleep hours. This allows you to silence sounds and vibrations so your rest is uninterrupted.

To enable Do Not Disturb mode on an iPhone, open the Control Center and tap the moon icon. You can also go to Settings > Do Not Disturb and toggle it on. Schedule quiet hours based on your typical sleep schedule, like 10pm to 7am. On Android devices, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Do not disturb and configure your quiet hours.

While Do Not Disturb is enabled, you can allow exceptions for important contacts in case of emergency. On iPhone, go to Settings > Do Not Disturb and enable Repeated Calls to let a second call from the same person within a 3 minute period go through. For Android, apply a rule for Allow only priority interruptions and customize who can get through.

With Do Not Disturb scheduled during sleep hours, you don’t have to worry about unnecessary sounds and distractions when you need rest the most. It’s an easy way to detach from technology and improve sleep quality (source).

Use Focus Modes to Pause Notifications

One of the best ways to pause notifications at night on iPhone is to use Focus Modes. Focus Modes allow you to filter notifications and apps to reduce distractions. You can create a custom Focus for sleeping such as “Sleep Mode” that will automatically turn on at your set bedtime.

To create a Sleep Focus:

Go to Settings > Focus

Tap the + icon to add a new Focus
Name it something like “Sleep Mode”
Customize which notifications and apps you want to pause

Tap “Turn On Automatically” and set your desired sleep schedule

With a Sleep Focus enabled, your iPhone will automatically pause all non-essential notifications like social media, news, and email during your scheduled sleep hours. You can still allow calls or messages from favorite contacts. This helps prevent unnecessary distractions and noise while you rest.

For more details on creating Focus Modes optimized for better sleep, check out Apple’s support guide.

Adjust System-Wide Notification Settings

You can control notifications at the system level on your device to disable or limit notifications during nighttime hours. On an Android device, go to Settings and select Notifications. From there you can turn off lock screen notifications entirely or disable pop-ups and badges for individual apps. On an iPhone, open Settings, select Notifications, and adjust options like Show Previews and notification frequency for each app.

Disabling lock screen notifications prevents any alerts or messages from popping up while your phone is locked. Turning off badges removes the notification dots or numbers that appear on app icons. Both changes stop notifications from actively vying for your attention while the device is in use.

Take time to review notification settings for your most-used apps. You may find certain apps are fine to allow badges and previews for, while others should be restricted. Get in the habit of revisiting notification settings every so often to disable any unnecessary distractions.

Charge Devices Outside the Bedroom

One simple but effective way to curb nighttime technology use is to charge all devices outside of the bedroom. This prevents having smartphones, tablets, laptops, or other electronics within arm’s reach when trying to sleep (1). Leaving temptation out of sight can make it easier to avoid bad habits.

Charging devices in another room also eliminates visual and light disruptions in the bedroom. The glow or flashes from notifications and alerts can interfere with falling asleep. Studies show that exposure to blue light from screens before bed can disrupt circadian rhythms and melatonin production (2). Keeping devices physically separated from the bed reduces these issues.

Making a rule against technology use a certain amount of time before bed (experts recommend 30-60 minutes) is another way to set boundaries (3). But establishing rules is easier if the tech is already outside the bedroom. Putting some distance between sleeping space and digital temptation helps sustain healthy pre-bedtime habits.

Overall, charging devices in a separate space outside the bedroom removes distractions and supports better rest. This simple change encourages letting go of tech at night to prioritize sleep.

Use Old School Alarm Clocks

One of the most effective ways to ensure you wake up on time in the morning is to buy a dedicated alarm clock. Choose an analog alarm clock with a consistent alarm sound that will reliably wake you. Position the alarm clock across the room, away from your bed. This forces you to physically get up out of bed to turn it off, helping you start your day feeling energized.

Look for alarm clocks designed specifically for heavy sleepers like the Sonic Bomb with an extra-loud 113db alarm (https://www.amazon.com/alarm-clock-heavy-sleepers/s?k=alarm+clock+for+heavy+sleepers). Or try Clocky, the alarm clock on wheels that jumps off your nightstand and runs around beeping until you catch it (https://clocky.com/). Dedicated alarm clocks avoid relying on your phone’s alarms which can be unreliable for waking heavy sleepers.

Setting a consistent wake-up time and forcing yourself out of bed at that time trains your body’s natural sleep/wake cycle. Use a single alarm clock instead of multiple devices to learn your ideal alarm volume and sound. And position it across the room from your bed so you have to get up to turn it off. This routine will have you waking refreshed and ready to start your day.

Make Notification Changes Permanent

Commitment is key to sticking with reduced notifications long-term. After turning off sounds, be willing to leave notifications silenced overnight instead of turning them back on after just a few days. As noted in an article on Medium, experiments showed reducing notifications improved user retention rates (source).

Reevaluate if you truly need notifications from apps tempting you to turn sounds back on. Consider deleting or disabling apps sending non-essential alerts after hours. Unnecessary distractions undermine sleep, so be honest about notification importance.

Major app updates may automatically enable notification sounds again. Periodically check settings, especially after updating apps, to ensure unwanted sounds remain disabled (source). Stay vigilant to prevent notifications creeping back overnight.

Enjoy Better Rest

Turning off notifications at night can have tremendous benefits for your ability to fall asleep faster, stay asleep through the night, and wake up feeling refreshed. Without disruptive dings and alerts going off, you’ll be able to relax and unwind more easily. This helps signal to your brain that it’s time for bed.

Additionally, you won’t be exposing yourself to stimulating “blue light” from your devices right before bed. This light can suppress melatonin production and keep your mind wired and active when you need it to wind down. With notifications off, you can power down your devices earlier.

Finally, you’ll sleep more soundly without notifications waking you up unexpectedly. This allows you to sleep deeply and continuously through your sleep cycles. Come morning time, you’ll greet the day with more energy and mental clarity.

According to studies cited at reviewed.usatoday.com, better sleep habits with phones “improves productivity, heightens creativity, improves memory and makes us more patient and pleasant to be around.” So power down, get some rest, and be your best you!