Doing a digital detox is one of the best things you can do for your health.
Let's be honest, we’re on our phones so much more than we want to admit. Not just phones either: the TV, tablets, laptops, the screens in the minivan, the screens in the kitchen when we’re following recipes… they’re everywhere.
As a mom of five boys? Whew. My kids get hooked in minutes. I can always tell when they’ve had too much screen time. They go from sweet and goofy to moody, impatient, emotional and snappy. It’s wild how fast it happens. Their little brains get overstimulated, and honestly, mine does too.
It took me a while to connect what screens were doing to my sleep, my stress and even how often I was getting sick. The headaches, the restless nights, the wired-but-tired feeling… it all linked back to how much time I spent staring at a screen without realizing it.
Screens feel normal because everyone uses them — but that doesn’t mean they’re harmless.
The truth is, we can’t very well toss every device into a closet and disappear from technology. With some small, simple changes, you can make a huge difference.
So, let’s start by looking at what screens are actually doing inside your body.
The Health Effects of Too Much Screen Time
Most people don’t realize how closely sleep and immunity are tied together. When one drops, the other follows.
During deep sleep, your body releases cytokines. These are tiny proteins that help fight infections, reduce inflammation and support your immune system. But if your sleep is short, broken or low-quality, your body can’t produce enough of them.
This is where screens play a much bigger role than we think.
How Blue Light Messes With Everything
Blue light from phones and tablets acts like artificial sunlight. So when you're scrolling at night, your brain thinks it’s daytime. That means:
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Your melatonin stays low
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Your brain doesn’t wind down
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You stay alert when you’re supposed to be relaxing
Melatonin isn’t just the hormone that helps you fall asleep. It also supports a healthy immune response. So when melatonin dips, sleep dips… and your immune system follows.
Here’s where it clicked for me. I could feel myself finding it harder to fall asleep, feel refreshed in the morning and my immune system wasn’t fighting off illnesses as good as it used to.
Add the mental stimulation of scrolling, news, notifications and videos, and your nervous system stays activated instead of settling into rest.
Over time, it creates a cycle:
Less melatonin → harder to fall asleep
Poor sleep → weaker immune system
Weak immunity → more inflammation and sickness
More stress → even worse sleep
I found myself trapped in that cycle for months, and my boys weren’t far behind. Too much screen time made all of us more irritable, restless and stressed. It wasn’t just “bad behavior.” It was biology.
Once I noticed the pattern, everything changed.
How You Can Detox (Without Going Off the Grid)
These simple steps have helped our home tremendously. They're easy to start and even easier to keep going.
1. Create a Nighttime Routine
It doesn’t need to be fancy. Mine changes daily, but it usually includes magnesium balm, a warm shower, tea or a few quiet minutes in bed. The point is that it's screen-free and calming. Your brain will eventually recognize the routine and naturally prepare for rest.
If you need ideas, click here for a detailed nighttime routine.
2. Limit Screen Time
Most phones can track your screen time and set limits for you. We also have a “phones off” time at night — usually around 7:30 or 8 pm. The boys complain about it, but within 20 minutes, they’re calmer, kinder and more grounded.
Screens off → calmer kids → calmer mom.
3. Add Sunlight and Movement
A short walk or a few minutes outside does wonders. Sunlight resets your internal clock, and movement helps lower stress hormones. It also gets you off technology and into the real world for a little while, which scientifically has a grounding effect on the mind and body.
4. Use Blue Light Glasses
Since we still need screens during the day, blue light glasses help reduce the amount of overstimulation your brain absorbs. You can find them pretty much anywhere. Reputable brands provide a blue light source with the glasses so you can test its potency and ensure it truly blocks blue light.
5. Incorporate Calming Products
These little additions help your body relax and fall asleep more naturally.
Some of our favorites:
All of them help your nervous system shift out of “go mode” so you can unwind. It allows your brain to send signals that’ll lower stress signals, relax tight muscles and get everything aligned for a smoother routine. Perfect after a long day and even better paired with a digital detox.
Step Into Relaxation & Good Health
If you want deeper sleep, better immunity, calmer evenings and fewer emotional meltdowns (for kids and adults alike), cutting back on screens is one of the simplest ways to get there. You don’t need huge changes. Just small ones that you actually stick with.
If this kind of natural wellness is helpful for you, you might love some of our other blogs too:
Wishing you calmer nights, healthier mornings and a home that feels just a little more peaceful, one small habit at a time.
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