Many of us wake up and instinctively reach for our phones to check emails, scroll social media, or read the news. But according to leading neuroscientists and sleep experts, this common habit could be sabotaging your brain’s most powerful and productive window of the day.
Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist at New York University, recently took to Instagram to sound the alarm about the hidden dangers of early-morning screen time. “You’ve been starting your day out all wrong, and your brain hates it,” she warned. “If your first move in the morning is checking your phone, your brain misses out on its most powerful window of the day.”
Suzuki explains that when we first wake up, our brains enter a state she refers to as “peak neuroplastic mode” — a brief but crucial window when our minds are most adaptable and receptive to new information. During this period, dopamine levels, the brain’s natural “feel-good” chemical, are also at a high, providing a surge of motivation and focus.
However, she cautions that scrolling through your phone hijacks this potential. “Dopamine and cortisol are naturally high, giving you a boost in motivation, creativity, and focus,” she said. “But screens hijack that potential.” Instead, Dr. Suzuki encourages a simple five-day experiment: Delay screen time by just 20 minutes each morning. Use that time to stretch, write down your intentions for the day, or sit quietly with your coffee.
“Watch what happens when you give your brain space to lead,” she urged. And it’s not just morning habits that matter. A study by King Saud University found that bedtime phone use is strongly linked to poor sleep quality. Nine out of ten participants admitted to using their smartphones before sleep.
While only 41.7% reported poor sleep, the study revealed a two- to threefold increased risk of sleep disturbances depending on how long participants spent on their phones at night. Sleep expert Rosey Davidson from Just Chill Baby Sleep highlighted how nighttime scrolling impacts brain chemistry.
“Looking at phone content late at night affects our sleep by exposing us to blue light, which suppresses melatonin production, a hormone crucial for sleep,” she explained. Davidson also advises avoiding phones first thing in the morning. “Upon waking, our brain transitions through multiple brain wave states, making us more relaxed and suggestible. Consuming phone content in this state can heavily influence our mood and mindset.”
Her advice? “Charge your phone outside of your bedroom or across the room. Give yourself a few moments to breathe and set intentions before grabbing your device.” In short: how you start — and end — your day matters more than you think.