How Your Bedtime Scroll Is Impacting Your Sexual Performance

If you can't go to sleep without your nightly social media scroll, you're not alone. This habit may appear harmless, but some people find it could be impacting their performance in the bedroom. In fact, 83% of Canadian men have even used their phone while having sex with their partner, for reasons that range from playing music to checking their notifications. [1]

In this post, we look at whether phone use before bed is linked to erectile dysfunction and arousal, and steps you can take to prioritize presence and intimacy in your relationship.

Article Summary:

• Erectile dysfunctional or ED is when you regularly have difficulty getting or keeping an erection, and factors such as physical health, mental wellbeing, sleep and lifestyle all play a role.
• Using your phone late at night can affect your sleep hygiene, which could indirectly impact your sexual health. Poor sleep may lead to low energy, mood or sex drive and performance.
• The internet is vast and can expose you to social media content that could negatively influence body image, confidence and expectations in the bedroom.

What is erectile dysfunction?

To understand whether our phones are linked to erectile dysfunction (ED), it's important to know how the condition works.

ED is when you have difficulty getting or maintaining an erection for long enough to have penetrative sex. [2] When you're sexually aroused, nerve signals from your brain trigger the blood vessels in your penis to relax, allowing increased blood flow and causing an erection. [3] However, with ED, this process can become disrupted, affecting the firmness and duration of your erections.

What causes erectile dysfunction?

Erections are dependent on blood flow, so the causes of ED are often physical. For example, high blood pressure can cause damage to your blood vessels, which can stop blood entering your penis when you're aroused. However, this is far from the only condition linked to erectile dysfunction. Many other health problems and lifestyle factors can impact your sexual performance, including: [2]

• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Low testosterone levels
• Depression and anxiety
• Relationship problems

You can find out more about the causes of erectile dysfunction in this dedicated post.

Can your phone cause erectile dysfunction?

There's no clinical evidence to suggest that phone use can directly cause symptoms of erectile dysfunction. However, screen time can have effects on other aspects of your wellbeing, which can have a significant impact on both your sex drive and your sexual performance.

Screen time, libido, and ED: what's the link?

Your sexual performance is complex, with many factors that can affect it. An erection starts with arousal, where thoughts or physical sensations trigger sexual excitement. This creates signals to trigger the physical response in your penis. [3] If this process is interrupted, it can have a negative effect on your performance.

Here are some of the ways phone use may impact your sex life:

Sleep disruption

There's a long-established link between screen time and poor sleep quality. Your body uses light to synchronize your circadian rhythm, or your body's internal clock. When it gets dark, you produce melatonin, a sleep hormone. Exposure to blue light before bed may suppress melatonin production, making you feel more alert, and less able to fall asleep. [4]

Sleep plays a key role in sexual performance. Men produce most of their daily testosterone while asleep, so disruptions can result in reduced levels. [5] Low testosterone is linked to decreased libido and erectile function. [6] Lack of sleep also affects the part of your nervous system responsible for stress responses, raising your cortisol levels and reducing blood flow to your penis. [7]

'Phubbing'

This term, a blend of 'phone' and 'snubbing', was coined to describe behaviour in which a person ignores immediate social interactions in favour of phone use. [8] When people prioritize screen time over quality time with their partner, it can have a negative effect on relationship satisfaction, emotional closeness, and sexual intimacy. [9] [10]

Negative body image

Social media has no closing time and that’s why late-night scrolling could expose you to everything from edited bodies and fitness ideals to narrow expectations of masculinity and comparison culture on loop. It can sometimes feel difficult to pull away from the algorithm and practice positive self-talk if there are online triggers which contribute to a negative body image.

In a study of 238 young men, body shame was associated with lower body esteem across every area measured, including appearance, weight and physical fitness. [11] Feeling self-conscious about your body may affect sexual confidence and make you more likely to overthink about how you look or perform during sex. This can take your attention away from arousal and contribute to anxiety-related ED.

Pornographic materials

The research on the link between pornographic materials and ED is mixed, so it’s important not to assume that watching porn automatically leads to sexual problems. Although, in a study of 3,419 men aged 18-35, problematic pornography use was associated with a higher likelihood of ED. A larger 3-year study also linked more frequent porn use in men with lower sexual confidence, poorer sexual function and lower partner satisfaction. [12]

However, another study found no relationship between how often men watched porn and their sexual performance. The way pornography is used may matter more than frequency alone, especially if it feels more compulsive, replaces partnered intimacy or creates unrealistic expectations about sex. [12]

How to reduce the impact of screens on your sex life

Making a few small lifestyle changes could help minimize the effect phone use is having on intimacy. Here are some tips you could follow:

• Prioritize analog hobbies. If using your phone is affecting your sleep, try an offline activity before bed. Swap repetitive digital games for a physical puzzle, and mindless scrolling for a book.
• Limit social media usage. Set a daily time limit for social media apps, turn off non-essential notifications and avoid checking your phone during the hour before bed. Reducing late-night scrolling can help protect your sleep and give you more space to focus on your partner and your own arousal.
• Set aside phone-free time. A full digital detox isn't always necessary, but try making a conscious effort to unplug and be present with your partner before bed. Try leaving your phone in another room on date nights, or charging your phone away from your bed so you can focus on spending time together.
• Communicate openly with your partner. The best way to address intimacy issues is by having an honest conversation. Whether you're feeling distant and distracted, or you're experiencing performance anxiety, talking through your thoughts can help you connect with your partner and explore ways to improve your sex life.

Looking to get more from your sexual performance? Find out if you’re eligible for treatment with MedExpress.

References

1. Canada M. How Music, Gaming, and Phones Are Changing Canadian Men’s Sex Lives [Internet]. Medexpress.co. 2026 [cited 2026 Sept 18]. Available from: https://www.medexpress.co/ca/blog/sexual-health/screen-use-affecting-mens-sex-lives
2. NHS . Erectile dysfunction (impotence) [Internet]. NHS. 2019 [cited 2026 Sept 18]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/erection-problems-erectile-dysfunction/
3. Dean RC, Lue TF. Physiology of Penile Erection and Pathophysiology of Erectile Dysfunction. Urologic Clinics of North America [Internet]. 2005 Nov [cited 2026 Sept 18];32(4):379–95. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1351051/
4. Wahl S, Engelhardt M, Schaupp P, Lappe C, Ivanov IV. The Inner clock—Blue Light Sets the Human Rhythm. Journal of Biophotonics [Internet]. 2019 Sept 2 [cited 2026 Sept 18];12(12). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7065627/
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7. Zhang F, Xiong Y, Qin F, Yuan J. Short Sleep Duration and Erectile Dysfunction: A Review of the Literature. Nature and Science of Sleep [Internet]. 2022 Oct [cited 2026 Sept 18];Volume 14:1945–61. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9621223/
8. Mento C, Silvestri MC, Lombardo C, Rizzo A, Turiaco F, Muscatello MRA, et al. Phubbing and phubber behavior: A new perspective in clinical psychological assessment. AIMS Public Health. 2025 [cited 2026 Sept 21];12(3):716–34. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12538237/
9. Ni N, Ahrari S, Zaremohzzabieh Z, Zarean M, Roslan S. A meta-analytic study of partner phubbing and its antecedents and consequences. Frontiers in Psychology [Internet]. 2025 May 13 [cited 2026 Sept 21];16. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1561159/full
10. S. N, S. A. Phubbing and human reproduction: The silent saboteur of intimacy and evolution. African Journal of Reproductive Health [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2026 Sept 21];29(7). Available from: https://www.ajrh.info/index.php/ajrh/article/view/5830
11. Boursier V, Gioia F. Which are the Effects of Body-Objectification and Instagram-Related Practices on Male Body Esteem? A Cross-Sectional Study. Clinical Neuropsychiatry [Internet]. 2022 Feb 1 [cited 2026 Sept 24];19(1):8–19. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35401765/
12. Jacobs T, Geysemans B, Van Hal G, Glazemakers I, Fog-Poulsen K, Vermandel A, et al. Associations Between Online Pornography Consumption and Sexual Dysfunction in Young Men: Multivariate Analysis Based on an International Web-Based Survey. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 2021 Oct 21;7(10):e32542. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8569536/