TikTok is testing a ‘sleep reminders’ feature that nudges you when it’s bedtime

TikTok users regularly complain of hours lost on the platform, especially at night. In an effort to address these concerns, the company is testing new sleep reminders that include the option to set up alerts when it’s your bedtime and to mute notifications during the recommended seven hours of sleep. TikTok confirmed to TechCrunch on Friday that the new sleep reminders are being tested with select users globally.

Screenshots shared by product intelligence firm Watchful.ai show that the new feature appears under the “screen time” settings in the app. Users who are part of the test will see a new “sleep reminders” option. The app says sleep reminders will help you “know if you reach your sleep time on TikTok to help you get to bed when you want to.” After you select a sleep time, you will be reminded to close the app when the clock reaches that time. TikTok will also mute push notifications for seven hours after your sleep time to help you avoid distractions.

Image Credits: Watchful.ai

A spokesperson for the company said TikTok is continuously working on new ways to support users’ well-being and that this new tool builds on its current digital well-being features. The app first launched screen time management tools in February 2020, and has since introduced additional features aimed at giving users more control over their app usage.

Last June, the company launched an in-app tool to help users control how much time they spend on TikTok in a single sitting by allowing them to schedule regular screen time breaks. By default, it suggests break reminders of either 10, 20 or 30 minutes, though users can set reminders for a custom time if they wanted to engage in either longer or shorter sessions before being shown the notification. The app also has restricted nighttime notifications for teen accounts. Users aged 13-15 don’t receive push notifications from 9pm, and users aged 16-17 have push notifications disabled starting at 10pm.

Thanks to TikTok’s unmatched ability to distract and engage users via its advanced recommendation technology, its addictive nature has been the subject of numerous psychological studies. As a result, it’s not surprising that TikTok is testing additional tools designed to put users in better control of their TikTok usage. As with any other test feature, it’s unknown when or if TikTok plans to officially roll out the sleep reminders feature more widely.