If the first thing you do in the morning is check your phone, science says you're harming your brain in these 5 ways

You open your eyes, and within seconds, your hand reaches for your phone. Maybe it's to check the weather, scroll social media, or respond to work emails. It feels harmless enough. But according to recent neuroscience research, those first few minutes of screen time might be sabotaging your brain function for the rest of the day.

A February 2025 study published in PNAS Nexus found that blocking mobile internet access on smartphones significantly improved sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. Meanwhile, doctors and neuroscientists are increasingly warning that morning phone habits create a cascade of cognitive problems that persist throughout waking hours.

1) It disrupts your brain's natural wake-up process

Your brain doesn't just flip a switch when you wake up. It transitions through distinct brainwave states, moving from delta waves during deep sleep to theta waves in that dreamy, half-awake state, then to alpha waves associated with quiet wakefulness, before finally reaching beta waves for focused attention.

"When you wake up in the morning, you transition from a delta brainwave of sleep to a theta brainwave," NHS surgeon Dr. Karan Raj explained in a November 2023 analysis by Health Digest. "If you wake up, check your phone, social media, messages, you skip this theta brainwave and go straight to the high-stress beta brainwaves." According to Dr. Raj, this altered pattern affects performance for the rest of the day.

Research from April 2024 confirms that overloading with stimulating content first thing thrusts your brain into beta waves too early, leaving you feeling scattered and stressed. The natural progression exists for a reason, and short-circuiting it has consequences.

2) It elevates your dopamine baseline and creates addiction cycles

Every notification, like, or interesting post triggers a small dopamine release in your brain. Dopamine is often called the "motivation molecule," but it doesn't create satisfaction. It creates craving. And when you start your day with dopamine spikes from your phone, you're setting an elevated baseline that your brain will chase all day long.

"Using your phone in the morning can elevate your dopamine baseline—the level of dopamine your brain expects to receive in order to feel pleasure or satisfaction," according to research on morning phone habits. This means you're more likely to keep seeking those dopamine hits from social media throughout the day, making it harder to find satisfaction in activities that don't provide instant stimulation.

A 2023 analysis noted that psychologists sometimes call phones "slot machines in our pockets." Each notification is a tiny, unpredictable reward, and research shows this variable-ratio schedule is one of the fastest ways to form a habit. A 2022 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that heavy phone users struggled more with self-control tasks, working memory, and reaction times even after three days of withdrawal.

3) It hijacks your cortisol awakening response

When you wake up naturally, your cortisol levels rise slowly to help fully awaken you and prepare your body for the day. This cortisol awakening response is a normal, healthy process. But checking your phone interrupts it in problematic ways.

"When you first wake up, your cortisol levels slowly start to rise to help fully awake you and get your body ready for the day," Dr. Jason Singh explained in the same Health Digest analysis. "This whole pattern completely undermines your body's natural waking transition and cortisol rise. The abrupt dopamine spike disrupts stable cortisol patterns which can then negatively impact energy levels, mood, and focus throughout the day."

Research shows that text message notifications alone can cause measurable increases in salivary cortisol levels. When you spike cortisol unnaturally while still in bed, especially if the first notifications you read are work emails or alarming headlines, your body becomes jittery and your mind edgy. A 2024 study on morning anxiety found that this disrupted cortisol pattern is a key factor in why people wake up feeling overwhelmed.

4) It drains your cognitive capacity and fragments attention

Perhaps the most surprising finding is that your phone doesn't even need to be turned on to affect your brain function. A landmark study on the "brain drain effect" found that the mere presence of a smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity, as measured by working memory and fluid intelligence tests.

A June 2023 study published in Scientific Reports confirmed that smartphone presence alone results in lower cognitive performance. "The smartphone may use limited cognitive resources and consequently lead to a lower cognitive performance," the researchers concluded. Even when people weren't looking at their phones or interacting with them, the devices consumed attention resources.

When you check your phone first thing in the morning, you're not just losing a few minutes. You're fragmenting your attention for the entire day ahead. Research on smartphone addiction and cognitive function found that heavy smartphone users often show lower performance on tasks requiring extended focus, memory, and problem-solving. A Microsoft study revealed that the average human attention span dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in recent years.

5) It locks you into reactive mode and increases anxiety

There's a fundamental difference between starting your day proactively versus reactively. When you check your phone first thing, you're immediately responding to other people's demands, priorities, and problems rather than setting your own intentions for the day.

"Research shows that beginning your day in a reactive mode, as opposed to a proactive one, can increase stress and anxiety levels," according to a 2024 analysis of morning phone habits. Notifications, emails, and social media updates create an instant sense of urgency. A morning email reminding you of work tasks or reading bad news can trigger stress that persists throughout the day.

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh observed that "when we feel stressed, we're either ruminating on the past or worrying about the future." Every notification causes you to think about what you missed in the past or what you need to do in the future. By checking your phone first thing in the morning, you lose your morning—giving it away to your device and operating at a level below what you're capable of achieving.

What the research recommends instead

Neuroscientists and psychologists suggest avoiding screens for at least the first 30 to 60 minutes after waking. This period is crucial for your brain to fully transition through its natural wake-up phases without disruption. A October 2024 analysis from researchers at Fielding Graduate University emphasizes that anything getting you outside before picking up your phone has multiple benefits, including stress reduction and cognitive restoration.

Alternative morning routines backed by research include stretching, deep breathing exercises, journaling, meditation, or simply spending a few minutes in silence. Some people find success with using a traditional alarm clock and leaving their phone in another room overnight. Others enable airplane mode to prevent the flood of notifications upon waking.

What's next for your brain health

The evidence is mounting that our relationship with smartphones, particularly in those crucial first minutes of the day, fundamentally shapes our cognitive function, stress levels, and overall mental health. The February 2025 PNAS Nexus study represents just the latest in a growing body of research showing that simple changes to phone habits can yield significant improvements in attention and well-being.

The good news? Your brain retains remarkable plasticity. Breaking the morning phone habit might feel difficult initially, but research suggests that within days of reducing screen time, mental clarity improves, stress levels drop, and creativity resurfaces. As one researcher noted, "Awareness is the first step." Understanding what those first few minutes of phone time actually do to your brain might be exactly the motivation you need to reclaim your mornings.