1 in 3 people check their smartphones in the middle of the night

Do you ever find yourself waking up and checking your smartphone in the middle of the night?

If so, you're not alone. A new study has found that one in three people check their phones in the middle of the night.

The research, from consultancy firm Deloitte, also found that people using their phones at night are doing everything from checking the time to reading messages, from reading the news to responding to work emails.

The younger you are, the more likely you are to check it at night. 50% of 18-24-year-olds admitted it, while just 14% of over-65-year-olds do. The study was conducted in the UK, surveying 4,000 people.

Nocturnal smartphone usage also has the potential to disrupt sleep patterns on a more subtle level. The bright blue light emitted by phones (and screens more generally) can affect the body's body clock, affecting the secretion of melatonin and making it harder for you to get to sleep. This is why there are increasing numbers of apps and features (notably Night Shift in iOS) that give screens an orange tint at night.

The study also found that smartphone usage starts in the morning from almost the moment people wake up. 52% of people said they checked their phones within 15 minutes of getting up; 86% said within an hour.

Similarly, 58% of people checked their phones within 30 minutes before going to sleep.

You can read the full study below: