We’ve all been there: one last headline, one more video, one more scroll just to be sure we didn’t miss anything. But instead of getting restful sleep, we’re left anxious, overstimulated, and wide awake. On Morning Air, host John Morales spoke with Catholic writer and speaker Laura DeMaria about breaking the habit of nighttime doomscrolling, and reclaiming those final moments of the day for peace and prayer.
DeMaria explained that “doomscrolling” became common during the pandemic, when constant exposure to negative news trained us to compulsively seek more. The result, she said, is stress that harms our mental, spiritual, and even physical health. “It’s a really bad habit to have,” she noted, “but the good news is, we can break the habit.”
Rather than quitting outright and going straight to sleep, DeMaria recommends replacing scrolling with something better. Her first suggestion is simple and unapologetic: pray the Rosary, especially before bed, when our minds and hearts are winding down. “Just pray the Rosary,” she said. “Do that for 15 or 20 minutes before you go to bed for a week and see what happens to your interior life.”
She also encouraged listeners to try an examination of conscience at night. Get into the practice of having a gentle, honest review of the day with God. It’s not about judgment, but awareness. Where did you show grace and virtue? And where do you still need work? What areas can you grow in tomorrow?
Morales added other practical alternatives, from listening to Archbishop Fulton Sheen to reading Scripture or a short spiritual meditation. Unlike doomscrolling, these habits calm the body and refocus the soul. As DeMaria pointed out, reading often leads naturally to rest, something endless scrolling never seems to do.
In the end, the invitation is simple: trade anxious headlines for prayerful presence, and let the day end not with noise, but with God.
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