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Doomscrolling all night? Here’s why you can’t stop and how to break the loop
A Dubai-based psychologist explains why we compulsively scroll through negative news late at night and offers practical tips to break the cycle
- PUBLISHED: Thu 5 Mar 2026, 7:00 AM
You’re freshened up, in bed, sinking into your pillows, almost drifting off when you hear a loud thud. It could just be the balcony door shutting by the force of the wind but your mind leaps to worst-case scenarios.
Almost automatically, your hand reaches for your phone (which is, of course, right next to you, maybe even under your pillow). You open one app to “just check” what’s happening nearby. One headline leads to the next, and before you know it, you’re halfway across the world, with heart racing about a drought in East Africa or a geopolitical shift three borders away.
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If you catch yourself unable to sleep, constantly whisking your phone for "just one more update”, you aren't doing it to just stay informed. You are doomscrolling.
Doomscrolling: Survival instinct gone wrong
"People across the UAE are glued to their screens right now because the world around us feels uncertain," says Nusrat Khan, a CDA-licensed clinical psychologist at HRIC Dubai. "Whenever we feel this way, our brains naturally seek out information to regain a sense of control. It starts as a search for safety but spirals into a cycle that leaves us more exhausted than informed."
Whenever the world around us feels uncertain, our brains naturally seek out information to regain a sense of control. It starts as a search for safety but spirals into a cycle that leaves us more exhausted than informed
Nusrat Khan, Clinical Psychologist, Hric Dubai
Khan defines doomscrolling as “the compulsive consumption of negative news for prolonged periods, usually late at night.” It starts innocently enough: "I’ll scroll for 10 minutes before bed", but those minutes stretch into hours.
Our brains are wired to scan for threats, which is a a survival instinct, explains Khan. But this instinct, heightened in times of uncertainty, keeps the amygdala (our brain’s alarm system) in constant surveillance mode. “Each fresh update feels vital. But the result is we end up in an endless loop of anxious scrolling, spiking our stress hormones and worsening feelings of unrest.”
Why uncertain times make us more susceptible
In distressing times, particularly when regional tensions rise, people tend to get glued to their screens. Khan notes that this impulse stems from wanting control over the situation. “Your mind feels that one more update will help you feel safer or more prepared but the Internet can’t provide that resolution.”
Instead, the constant flow of alarming or conflicting information keeps the nervous system on high alert, feeding anxiety and even ‘vicarious trauma’, which is emotional strain from witnessing others’ suffering online.
Mental, physical toll: Disruption of sleep cycle
Scrolling until the early hours disrupts your sleep cycle, leading to mood swings, fogginess, irritability and poor impulse control. “Sleep is not a luxury, it’s psychological protection,” Khan emphasises. “If you’re sleep-deprived, your threat perception worsens, making you more reactive to news the next day. You’re feeding the loop.”
Without adequate rest, our ability to discern fact from misinformation also declines, making the world seem more chaotic and hopeless than it actually is.
How to catch yourself doomscrolling
Recognising the pattern is the first step. Khan suggests noticing the following physical and emotional cues:
Tight jaw or clenched muscles
Dry mouth or shallow breathing
Constantly scrolling without finishing a single video or post
Thoughts like, “Just one more update…”
Realising you’ve been on the same app for 30–40 minutes without gathering any new information or goal to achieve
If this sounds like you, you may be doomscrolling and it’s time to disrupt the habit:
Breaking the loop, not just a matter of willpower
A common misconception is that stopping is a matter of "strength" or character. Khan disagrees, noting that it is not a willpower issue but a regulation issue.
“To stop, you must regulate your behaviour by first regulating your nervous system. Since digital platforms are designed to be "frictionless", we must manually add speed bumps to our habits,” she explains.
This can begin with the "Three-Scroll Rule", where you allow yourself only three swipes of a feed before physically moving the phone to another room.
Alternatively, Khan recommends the "Sunset Rule" for the dangerous window between 11pm and 3am, when people are most likely to fall into the doomscrolling loop.
Charging your phone in the living room or across the bedroom, where you have to actually walk to reach it, creates the necessary friction to break the trance state
Nusrat Khan, Clinical Psychologist, Hric Dubai
“During these hours, our logical prefrontal cortex is exhausted, leaving the emotional brain in charge. Charging your phone in the living room or across the bedroom, where you have to actually walk to reach it, creates the necessary friction to break the trance state," she advises.
So, what else can you do?
Khan suggests keeping your digital space purposeful. Ideally, one or two reliable updates per day are enough to stay responsible. "The UAE provides exceptional assurance through verified announcements and mental health helplines," she adds. “By deciding on your source in advance and sticking to it, you avoid the "channel hopping" that triggers hyperarousal."
To further protect your space, Khan suggests turning off push notifications so the news doesn't find you. Instead, you go to the news at a set time. "Setting a physical timer for 10 or 15 minutes per session can also serve as a necessary alarm to pull you back into your actual life."
Alternatively, you can also download screen time-monitoring apps, such as Opal, ScreenZen, Flipd etc., or replace passive scrolling with intentional engagement like educational podcasts or guided meditation. Khan also mentions Insight Timer as a resource for mindfulness exercises, along with structured reading.
"Though, swapping doomscrolling for “harmless scrolling” all night doesn’t solve the core issue. The best strategy remains keeping the phone away," she adds.
Offline alternatives
To combat the digital pull, Khan recommends "embodied" tasks, activities that require your body to move and engage with the physical world.
Cleaning a closet is a frequent recommendation for her clients because it grounds the individual and provides a tangible sense of control over their immediate space.
Other practical shifts include engaging in hobbies that don't require the Internet, such as painting, reading a physical book, or sharing stories with children.
Somatic grounding tools, like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique or holding a cold glass of water, can also help pull your consciousness out of the digital cloud and back into reality, says Khan.
“Physical movement really, really helps to burn off this adrenaline that is built up from reading all the bad stuff,” she adds. “So can community connection: video calls, speaking to friends, real conversations, sharing feelings within the family, without repeatedly rehashing the crisis."
Faith, prayer, reflection, journaling are all immensely useful ways to help regulate the nervous system, especially in the holy month of Ramadan. And if you feel helpless, Khan says, do something small and local: help a neighbour, check in on someone on your floor, engage in a community project.
A matter of civic responsibility
In a time of collective fear, maintaining your own sense of calm can be more than just "self-care". "Protecting your nervous system is actually an act of civic responsibility," says Khan.
Regulated individuals make better decisions and are less likely to impulsively share the kind of "random stuff" or misinformation that complicates government efforts.
"Staying informed is a duty, but staying unregulated does not protect anyone," she adds. "By setting boundaries, nurturing ourselves with sleep and focusing on local connection, we build the psychological resilience that these uncertain times demand.”
If you or someone you know is feeling distressed and needs support, these are some UAE-based mental health services you can reach out to.
