Do you really need to keep your screen on overnight for Pokémon Sleep?

polygon.com:

The first time you playPokémon Sleep, the sleep-tracking, Pokémon-catching mobile game, you’ll be prompted to leave your phone screen on but to just put your phone face down on the bed. That said, you’ll need to keep your phone plugged in as well, or else you risk your phone battery dying overnight.

(For context, I’m using an iPhone 13 that has seen better days to play Pokémon Sleep, so my experiences may be the same as those who use an Android or a newer iPhone.)

The plus side is that flipping your phone over will dim the screen, though it won’t actually lock your phone. The screen will stay on, and while it’s mostly replaced by black space, you’ll still see the time, service provider information, and battery indicators at the top of your display. Obviously, people (myself included) are apprehensive about leaving their phone screens on overnight.

The other option, as stated by the game, is to invest in the Pokémon Go Plus Plus, a little gadget that will track your sleep for you, instead of your phone.

The Go Plus Plus costs $55.

The first morning I woke up after keeping my phone screen on, my phone was hot and it wasn’t even fully charged. (It was at roughly 80%. Usually, when I plug it in at the end of the night, it’s fully charged by morning.)

As a person who likes Pokémon games (even when those games are silly mobile spin-offs), I had to figure it out: Do I actually need to keep my phone screen on while I sleep?

Here’s the answer I got: No, unless you are really trying to get accurate sleep data and max out your Pokémon gainz. If you are just trying to encourage healthy sleeping habits and find some cute friends in the morning, you can turn your screen off.

If you turn your phone screen off after starting your sleep