My sister told me my sleep timer is "a crutch" and now I keep thinking about it

Tyler Jackson · 2026-10-24T08:15:05.319676+00:00

My sister stayed over last week and caught me setting the 30 minute sleep timer on my audiobook before bed, and she made a face and said that falling asleep with your phone is "a crutch, not a wind down." It bugged me way more than it should have. I've been doing this for about 2 years now, always a nature podcast or a slow history book, volume at like 20 percent, phone face down on the nightstand. For me it works because the sound stops my brain from looping on work stuff, and the timer means it clicks off before I'm deep in. Her thing is she reads a paper book with a real lamp. But here's what got me, she doesn't fall asleep till almost midnight and I'm out by 10:30. So I'm not sure her way is better, it just works for her. I'm not going to quit the timer, but I did try one night without it and just laid there until 11:45. Has anyone figured out a middle ground, like a certain type of audio that doesn't feel like you're leaning on a screen?

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My sister told me my sleep timer is "a crutch" and now I keep thinking about it | Bedtime Phone Stories - Babble Community