Tired but wired? Understanding why our brains delay bedtime can unlock better sleep
She’s spent years researching bedtime procrastination, but Dr Vanessa Hill admits even her own sleep routine can occasionally get hijacked by screens.
But late-night scrollers shouldn’t panic – the Australian sleep scientist and habits researcher understands the pull of the glowing gadget at bedtime, and what will help us put it down.
Shifting sleepy habits
Graduating with her CQUniversity PhD last year, Dr Hill’s thesis focused on behaviour change to reduce bedtime procrastination.
“So much generic sleep advice is around setting a regular bedtime, and managing stress – it’s asking people to rely on sheer willpower when we’re at our most exhausted, and that is just unrealistic,” she explained.
“I led a trial where we tested a short online intervention to reduce bedtime screen time, by targeting habit rather than willpower.”
Participants accessed a small set of behaviour change techniques, including a ‘behavioural substitution’ with a pre-planned and specific alternative to scrolling in their wind-down routine.
“My research showed that scrolling through a phone before bed often provides something valuable in the moment — distraction, relaxation or a small sense of control after a busy day,” she said.
“If you don’t account for that reward, and build an alternative reward into your routine, you can tell people to stop scrolling forever and they’ll keep scrolling anyway.”
The results, published in Sleep Medicine, showed nightly bedtime screen time dropped by 23-29 minutes through the intervention, with small improvements in sleep quality.
“When you work with cues and rewards in mind, people can shift what they do at bedtime without needing unrealistic levels of discipline,” Dr Hill explained.
On-screen guidance
Based in California, Dr Hill is a public educator “on a mission to make you less tired”.
Her popular YouTube, Instagram and Substack accounts reach millions with her practical, research-informed approach.
Since crossing the graduation stage – with her academic gown over fancy pyjamas – she’s deep-dived sleep science around blue light impacts, how personality shapes sleep, evening screen time, and hidden agenda of daylight savings.
“My philosophy is that sleep advice should fit your actual life, not an impossible, screen-free version of it,” she explained.
“As well as break down the latest research, I want to help people move away from ‘sleep guilt’, and the idea that they can ‘perfect sleep’ if they’re just strict enough with themselves.”
Dr Hill’s own research journey began as a science YouTuber, and a 2013 video about sleep deprivation that went viral.
“People watching late at night flooded the comments section with a similar message: they were exhausted and the standard sleep advice wasn’t helping.”
“I might be the only person who can say the YouTube comments section launched my entire research agenda!” she laughed.
Achievable advice
Ahead of World Sleep Day on Friday 13 March, Dr Hill recommends a gentle approach to shifting sleep habits in line with the theme ‘Sleep well, live better’.
Her top tips for restorative rest are:
- Don’t obsess over sleep hours Focusing too much on achieving the “perfect” number of hours can create anxiety that makes sleep harder.
- Tech isn’t (always) the villain Phones and devices can disrupt sleep, but they can also support healthier habits: setting reminders, supporting wind-down routines that can be relaxing, like watching slow-paced videos or listening to sleep stories.
- Give yourself a break Bad nights happen, treating them as personal failures can make sleep feel even more stressful.
Dr Hill is an Adjunct Research Fellow with Appleton Institute, driving CQUniversity’s world-leading behavioural sciences research across physical activity, sleep and biological rhythms, and operational readiness.
