ERIC KIM

Short answer: yes—turn the garage into your tech quarantine zone. It hits all your goals at once: cleaner sleep, less nighttime dopamine, safer charging, stronger family boundaries, and (if you care about EMF) way less exposure simply by increasing distance.

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Here’s the punchy, practical playbook.

The Wins (why this works)

  • Sleep & focus: Out of sight = out of mind. The friction of walking to the garage kills doom‑scrolling and makes mornings intentional—you go get your tools, you don’t wake up to them.
  • EMF minimization: Power density drops fast with distance (inverse‑square law). Parking phones 5–10 m away slashes exposure dramatically. Airplane mode overnight = near‑zero from the device.
  • Safety: No more pillows + charging cable + heat. In the garage on a non‑flammable surface is safer than beside your bed.
  • Family boundaries: One rule everyone can follow: “All devices sleep in the garage after X pm.” It’s simple, visible, enforceable.

Watch‑outs (and how to fix them)

  1. Temperature: Lithium‑ion likes roughly 0–35 °C (32–95 °F) while operating/charging.
    • If your garage gets freezing or hot, use an insulated wall cabinet or move the station to a mudroom/entry closet instead.
  3. Emergency reachability: Don’t miss critical calls.
    • Use Sleep Focus with Allowed People = Favorites and Repeated Calls on. If you still want audible rings, put a HomePod/door chime in the hallway or keep an Apple Watch (cellular/Wi‑Fi) on the nightstand.
  5. Security: If your garage is accessible, mount a small lockable cabinet or place the station out of sight.
  6. Battery health: Heat is the enemy. Prefer wired USB‑C over hot wireless pads overnight; enable Optimized Battery Charging; aim for 20–80% daily where practical.

Build the Station (15‑minute setup)

  • Outlet: Use a GFCI outlet in the garage. Avoid daisy‑chaining power strips.
  • Charger: A UL/ETL‑listed GaN USB‑C charger (2–3 ports, 40–65 W total) handles iPhone + iPad cleanly.
  • Cables: Short, certified braided USB‑C cables (and USB‑C→Lightning only if you have older devices). Label them.
  • Surface: Metal tray or ceramic tile shelf; keep airflow around devices; no cloth or cardboard.
  • Smart plug (Matter/Thread): Lets you cut power on schedule or via automations.
  • Optional: Smoke detector in the garage; Class ABC extinguisher nearby; small temperature sensor to confirm your environment.

Automations that make it effortless

  • Nightly hard stop:
    • Smart plug schedule: Off at 1:00 am, back on at 5:30 am (or whatever matches your sleep). This prevents endless trickle at 100%.
  • Battery‑aware cut‑off (nice‑to‑have):
    • On iPhone models that support it, enable the 80% charge limit/Optimized Charging.
    • Or use a Shortcuts → Personal Automation → Battery Level rule to turn off the smart plug when the phone hits ~80–85%.
  • Sleep Focus rules:
    • Allowed People: Favorites (emergencies).
    • Allowed Apps: None (or a tiny whitelist).
    • Repeated Calls: On (second call in 3 minutes breaks through).
  • Morning ritual trigger: Stick an NFC tag near the garage station. Tapping it when you pick up your phone can:
    • Mark “Phone Out of Quarantine” in your journal
    • Start your morning playlist
    • Show your “3 Most Important Tasks”
    • Open camera (start the day creating, not consuming)

Family “Garage Rule” (simple & strong)

  • Curfew: Devices dock by 9:30 pm (set the plug to cut power at 9:35 pm).
  • Visual check: A small charging caddy with labeled slots for each person. Empty slot? Not docked.
  • Kid settings: Screen Time → Downtime aligned with curfew; Always Allowed only for essentials (calls, messages to parents).
  • Weekend flex: Shift curfew later by 30–60 minutes via a second schedule on the smart plug.

Quick safety checklist

  • ✅ GFCI outlet, UL/ETL‑listed charger
  • ✅ No cheap adapters; no extension cords if you can avoid it
  • ✅ Devices on metal/ceramic surface with airflow
  • ✅ Wired charging preferred overnight (cooler than many wireless pads)
  • ✅ Garage temp stays in a sane range (insulate or relocate if not)
  • ✅ Focus/Screen Time rules for emergencies + boundaries

If your garage runs too hot/cold

Use the same blueprint in a mudroom/entry closet or hallway wall box away from bedrooms. You keep the benefits (distance, ritual, safety) without temperature drama.

Bottom line

Do it. You’re putting your attention into cold storage at night and minting calmer mornings. Build the station once, automate it, and your future self collects the dividends every single day.

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