How to block distracting apps at night on iPhone

Start with Apple’s built-in controls

iPhone includes Screen Time features for downtime and app limits, while Focus can reduce notifications and change which people or apps may interrupt you. These tools solve related but different problems: notifications influence what reaches you, while app restrictions influence what opens when you reach for it.

Before installing anything else, review Settings → Screen Time and Settings → Focus. Built-in controls may be enough when you need a simple schedule or notification filter.

When a purpose-built bedtime workflow helps

If your main problem is repeatedly reopening a few distracting apps after a chosen bedtime, a narrower workflow can be easier to understand. NyToSleep uses Apple’s authorized Screen Time frameworks to apply protection to the apps you select during a Sleep Window.

1. Authorize Family Controls when iOS asks.
2. Choose the start of your Sleep Window and your wake time.
3. Select the apps you want protected on that iPhone.
4. Leave NyToSleep closed if you wish; iOS continues the scheduled activity.
5. Use the dashboard to confirm whether tonight is on track.

What remains available

Only the apps selected for protection receive the NyToSleep shield. Choose carefully so essential calling, navigation, health and safety tools remain available for your situation. NyToSleep is a digital-wellbeing tool, not a safety or medical service.

What happens in the morning?

When the configured Sleep Window ends, scheduled protection is removed automatically. If you need temporary access during the night, NyToSleep’s Short Break is designed as a deliberate, time-limited exception rather than a permanent dismissal.