1 week Ago
With our phones now in arms’ reach almost 24/7, one common bedtime habit that many of us are guilty of doing before going to sleep could be putting a strain on your relationship with your partner, according to a relationships therapist. Experts are warning that “parallel scrolling” - the act of you and your partner scrolling through your phone in silence while lying in bed together - could damage your relationship by interfering with your intimacy and connection in the bedroom. “You’re basically decreasing the chances of intimacy and affection, or just generally engaging with your partner,” Tracey Ross - a couples and family therapist based in New York City - told HuffPost .
“Connection is critical for a strong relationship - and it needs to happen regularly, without fail, for a couple to thrive.” Ross explained that many modern couples struggle to find time to connect, and bedtime is often one of the few opportunities to do so. Her clientele often note that they struggle with their partners being “constantly on their phone” and “distracted” by a screen, which can make it harder to keep them engaged.
This can create “more separateness” between a couple. “While the need to unwind at the end of the day is completely understandable, it’s hard to deny the damage it can do to a relationship,” Ross said. But New York City-based psychotherapist Aimee Hartstein said that expecting couples to turn off their phones at night isn’t likely to work in to.
