Most articles regarding electronics in the bedroom today read something like “Top 10 reasons why you shouldn’t bring your electronic device into the bedroom with you” or “Electronic devices in the bedroom are tearing marriages apart”. This is just ludicrous and untrue. People are tearing the own marriages apart, and ruining their own sex lives, their smart phones and iPads have nothing to do with it. Sending emails at 2 AM after you have already fallen asleep is a bad habit, and people who have jobs that stressful need to re-evaluate their career choice, but scrolling through Facebook or pinning some ideas on Pinterest before you fall asleep can be therapeutic and relaxing.
Growing up the TV was always on when I went to bed. The soothing sounds always turned into white nose blocking out the outdoors and creepy house creaks and sounds I would hear in the middle of the night. Today having an iPhone by your bedside to use a flash light or radio is a sense of comfort. Watching shows on Netflix off your iPad before bed is totally normal and people shouldn’t feel guilty or bad because they are doing that. Of course there are scientific studies that say technology at night affects our sleep and contributes to fatigue, so turn the brightness down in the settings on your iPad, play your Candy Crush with no sound, and don’t use it for more than an hour at a time.
Playing games with your significant other is fun, and why not send some Words with Friends over to them right next to you in bed, or show them a funny MEME you found on Instagram? These are fun, harmless ways to use your electronics at night without alienating your partner. Watch a Netflix series on your iPad together and bond over the show. Don’t look at the iPad as a hinder in your relationship. If you want to take it to another level you could download adult movies on your iPad and watch them together too.
Remember to use your iPad and iPhone as an addition to your life, not as the main part of it. Going to bed with your iPhone doesn’t make you a bad person, but your life shouldn’t revolve around your electronic device. Using the iPad to relax and wind down is normal, but answering emails and swiping right on Tinder at 4 AM isn’t!