Use your iPhone's bedtime mode to get your sleep schedule on track

Sleep deprivation is a public health problem that our gadgets — with their glowing screens and buzzing notifications — generally make worse.

Apple recently introduced a new feature to iOS that's designed to help, but it's possible you missed it. The default Clock app on iOS 10 contains a special "Bedtime" setting that will nag you into better sleep habits.

Open the Clock app and tap the "Bedtime" icon. The app will ask you when you'd like to wake up and how long you'd like to sleep.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

You'll also have to tell the app when it should send reminders about your bedtime. Once that's set, you'll start to receive notifications encouraging you to get to sleep on time. It's like having a mini-mom inside your phone — the idea being that you'll actually head to bed if you know you're cutting into your eight hours of shuteye.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

If you'd like, you can manually confirm your sleep habits with the app every day to track your ZZZ's via the iPhone's Health app — no wearable required. Just remember that you'll have to update to iOS 10 to use the feature.

For best results, you should actually stop looking at your iPhone (or any screen) two to three hours before you go to bed. (Good luck!) Barring that, try the iPhone's Night Shift mode to cut down on sleep-disrupting blue light.