Doomscrolling at Night: What Your Brain is Really Seeking

It’s late at night, you’re tired, but instead of putting your phone down, you keep scrolling. One reel turns into ten, one news story leads to another, and before you know it, an hour or two has slipped by. You don’t even feel like you’re enjoying it that much, and you feel guilty about it, but for some reason, it’s really hard to stop. That’s doomscrolling.

For those who are unaware of what this term means, doomscrolling is simply any kind of endless scrolling. It could be on TikTok, Instagram reels, Reddit, or Twitter. It’s that loop where your brain keeps saying, “just one more,” even though you know you should sleep. So why does it happen, and what is your brain really looking for when it keeps you glued to the screen?

Part of the answer lies in dopamine, the neurotransmitter or chemical in your brain that’s tied to reward and pleasure. Every time you swipe and see something new, you get a tiny hit of it. The only problem with this is that dopamine doesn’t really make you feel satisfied; it makes you want more. That’s why the “just one more video” feeling is so strong. Apps are designed to play into this, too. They give you endless content that refreshes as soon as you swipe, which means you never know what you’re going to see next, and that unpredictability is what keeps you hooked. Psychologists call this “variable reward,” and it’s the same trick that makes slot machines addictive.

Scrolling at night feels even harder to resist because during the day, you’re busy and distracted. Once the world quiets down, your brain suddenly has space to process, and that can bring up stress, worries, or loneliness. Picking up your phone is a quick way to avoid those feelings. In fact, research in “Frontiers in Psychology” has shown that a lot of people use their phones at night as a way to cope with stress and push away negative thoughts. So while it might feel like you’re just looking for entertainment, your brain is often seeking comfort, connection, or reassurance.

The problem is that while doomscrolling feels comforting in the moment, it usually makes things worse. The blue light from your phone may lead your brain into falsely thinking it’s daytime, which makes it harder to fall asleep. On top of that, your brain is staying busy and stimulated when it should be preparing to wind down and rest. Studies published in the “Journal of Sleep Research” have shown that using your phone late at night is linked to worse sleep quality and shorter rest overall. Additionally, poor sleep doesn’t just make you groggy the next day; it also makes you more stressed and more likely to end up scrolling again the following night, resulting in it becoming a vicious cycle that feeds itself.

So what is your brain really chasing in those late-night scrolls? It usually comes down to three things. Firstly, your brain craves that little hit of dopamine it gets from scrolling through social media. Secondly, it’s looking for a way to find a connection, even if that means looking at stories from strangers online. And lastly, your brain sees endless scrolling as a quick escape from the daily stress and worries that are weighing you down throughout the day. The problematic part is that scrolling only gives you these things in tiny bursts, never in a way that fully satisfies, which is why you keep going even when you’re tired.

Breaking the cycle doesn’t mean giving up your phone entirely. It’s more about noticing what your brain is really after and finding better ways to give it that. Setting a time to stop scrolling before bed can make a big difference, even if it’s just thirty minutes earlier. Try swapping your late-night scrolling with something that actually helps you unwind. Read a few pages of a book, put on some relaxing music, or talk to someone you care about before bed. Those things give you the calm and connection your brain really needs. And if quitting the scrolling habit feels tough, setting a screen-time limit or an alarm to remind you to stop can make it a lot easier to stick to.self that’s hard to break, using timers or app limits can be a nice way to help you stop.

The point isn’t to be perfect, because everyone scrolls sometimes. The problem is when it stretches into hours and robs you of rest. The next time you find yourself stuck in that loop, try pausing to ask: “What am I actually looking for right now?” That simple question can help you figure out if you need connection, relaxation, or just a mental break. When you give your brain those things in healthier ways, the urge to scroll starts to lose its grip.

Doomscrolling doesn’t have to run your nights. When you replace it with habits that actually give your brain the comfort and rest it wants, you sleep better, you feel better, and you take back time you didn’t even realize you were losing.