The medical expert, who regularly features on the likes of ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and This Morning, urged people to wait before picking up their phone

A TV doctor has warned that many people were setting themselves up for “instant stress and overstimulation” with a common morning habit.

Dr Amir Khan urged people to wait “at least 30-minutes” before picking up their mobile phones in the morning as it could be harming their health.

The medical expert, who regularly features on the likes of ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and This Morning, said those who reach for their device first thing could be setting themselves up for failure.

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Taking to social media, Dr Khan said he had been “guilty” of checking his messages and social media as soon as he woke up but he’d “got better at not doing it”.

Sharing reasons why he was delaying his screen time, he explained that it could cause “instant stress and overstimulation” as it “floods the brain with information” before it’s had a chance to fully wake up, the Mirror reports.

Dr Khan said it could also throw off sleep cycles, raise stress and anxiety levels, and hinder a person’s ability to concentrate.

He said: “It can lead to a rise in our stress hormone (cortisol), which can make us anxious before we even start the day.

“Our brains wake up calm and relaxed – or at least they should.

“Diving straight into notifications can shift our internal focus, making it hard to set out intentions for the day.

“Instead of setting out our priorities, we get caught up in work and social media.”

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He also told his followers that the ‘blue light’ from screens could lead to eye strain as eyes were more “sensitive” after hours of sleep.

Healthier morning habits included rehydrating with a glass of water, stretching, or journaling to help the mind wake up gradually.