Micro Programs to Quit Screens Before Sleep
Short pre-sleep programs for people who cannot commit to a full screen-off program yet. "15 Minutes Without Your Phone," "Evening Without Social Media," and bedroom screen boundaries.
Choose a ProgramThree Pre-Sleep Screen-Quitting Programs
15 Minutes Without Your Phone
Duration: 7 days
Goal: Build tolerance for phone-free time before bed.
Set a daily alarm 15 minutes before your target sleep time. Place your phone in another room — kitchen counter, hallway shelf, or a drawer in the living room. Choose one replacement activity in advance: brew tea, read two pages, or stretch for five minutes.
Track completion on paper with simple checkmarks. No app required — that would defeat the purpose. After seven days, reflect: Was 15 minutes easy? Extend to 25 minutes next week. If it was hard, repeat the 15-minute program until it feels neutral rather than stressful.
Evening Without Social Media
Duration: 5 evenings per week
Goal: Break the scroll habit loop after dinner.
Log out of social apps at 7 pm or use screen-time limits to block them until morning. The logout step adds friction — you must consciously re-enter credentials to resume scrolling. Replace the open-and-scroll reflex with a bookmarked book page or a puzzle on the coffee table.
Notice which apps pull you in most strongly. Some people find Instagram hardest; others reach for TikTok or Facebook groups. Target your primary trigger app first rather than banning everything at once. Allow two "flex evenings" per week for special occasions without abandoning the program entirely.
Bedroom Device Boundary
Duration: 14 days
Goal: Remove screens from the sleep environment.
Charge all phones, tablets, and laptops outside the bedroom for two weeks. Purchase a basic alarm clock if you rely on your phone to wake up. If you use white noise, transfer tracks to a speaker without a screen or run a fan instead.
The bedroom should signal sleep, not stimulation. Remove glowing standby lights from TVs and chargers where possible. Keep a notebook and pen on the nightstand for thoughts that arise — write them down and return to rest rather than searching for answers online at midnight.
How These Pre-Sleep Programs Work
Each micro-program targets one device or one app category in the hour before sleep. They are entry points into our full 4-week screen-off program — not separate wellness challenges. "15 Minutes Without Your Phone" trains you to tolerate a screen-free gap. "Evening Without Social Media" removes the common pre-sleep scrolling habits. "Bedroom Device Boundary" eliminates the physical presence of screens where you sleep.
Run one program for its full duration before stacking another. Complete 7 days of the 15-minute program, then add the social media program, then the bedroom boundary. Each program has a single rule and a paper tracking sheet — no apps, because apps keep you on screens.
All three programs assume a target sleep time. Set your screen-off alarm relative to that time, not the clock on the wall. If you plan to sleep at 10:30 pm, the 15-minute program starts at 10:15 pm — phone in the kitchen, timer running, alternative activity ready.
Simple paper tracking keeps you off apps
Program Start Dates — Sunshine Coast
15-Minute Program — Group Start
Begin the "15 Minutes Without Your Phone" program with others at Alexandra Headland. Bring a book or journal — no devices for the full session. Register via our contact form. 6:00 pm AEST.
Social Media-Free Evening — Program Launch
Group kickoff for the five-evening social media program. Learn how to log out, block apps after 7 pm, and replace scrolling with no-screen activities. 7:30 pm AEST.
Bedroom Device Boundary Workshop
Setup session: move chargers, install alarm clocks, remove TVs from bedrooms. Hands-on support for the 14-day bedroom screen-ban program. Alexandra Parade venue. Limited to 20 places.
Full Screen-Off Program — Week 1 Start
Group start for the 4-week evening screen-off program. Week 1 focus: track all pre-sleep screen use without changing habits yet. Virtual and in-person check-in available.
Prepare your space before the program starts
Making Micro Programs Stick
- Prepare the environment: Before your program starts, place your book, tea, stretching mat, and alarm clock where you need them. Reducing setup friction makes follow-through easier on tired evenings.
- Find an accountability partner: Text a friend when you start your 15-minute window. External accountability adds social motivation without requiring shared apps or screens.
- Review weekly, not nightly: One missed evening is not failure. Review your tracking sheet every Sunday and adjust the next week's goal based on patterns, not guilt.
- Repeat before advancing: If a program feels difficult, run it again rather than jumping to a harder challenge. Mastery at a small level builds confidence for larger changes.
Start the 15-Minute Challenge Tonight
Set your timer, move your phone, and choose one calm activity. That is the entire program for day one.
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