Six out of 10 smart phone users check their phone BEFORE getting out of bed in the morning.

And for those who don't have their mobile phones positioned safely beside them while sleeping, they are always within six metres of their handset day and night.

Incredibly, 57 per cent of Brits can't get ready for the day ahead without first checking for text messages, emails and Facebook updates.

A staggering 88 per cent say checking their phones first thing has now become part of their morning routine, along with brushing their teeth, showering, having a cup of coffee and eating breakfast.

And 68 per cent say they feel more prepared for their working day if they have already checked their phones by the time they get up.

The poll of 3,000 smart phone owners carried out by mobile phone insurance provider ProtectYourBubble.com also reveals that a quarter of us would even check their phones if they popped to the toilet in the middle of the night.

Stephen Ebbett, director of online insurer ProtectYourBubble.com said: "Owning a smart phone is like having a right arm, suddenly you don't know how you ever coped without it.

"And being able to access email, the Internet, social networking sites and text messages wherever you are is life changing.

"It means you can conduct your life more efficiently, even from the comfort of your own bed."

The study shows that 86 per cent of Brits are most concerned about text messages first thing in the morning, while four in 10 like to plan their working day by checking emails.

A third of people prefer to check Facebook to see what friends and family got up to overnight.

Using Twitter, checking diary reminders and reading newspaper websites are among the activities people like to carry out while tucked up in bed.

But all this bedtime gadgetry appears to have taken its toll on our literary habits. A third of smart phone users now say they are more likely to spend half an hour in bed at night checking their mobile phone than reading a good book.

At the end of a long day, 53 per cent of Brits choose to unwind in bed by texting loved ones, while 33 per cent like to go on social networking sites.

Three in 10 people like to play games on their smart phones when in bed, while 23 per cent are obsessed with checking emails until they're on the point of drifting off.

Listening to music, watching films or videos and phoning friends and family are all things folk enjoy doing between the sheets late in the evening.

Interestingly, 13 per cent of professionals make a point of trying to send work emails on their phone or laptop late at night to look good.

Stephen Ebbett continues: "The funny thing is that Brits can't bear to think they are missing anything - so although most people will go to bed around 11pm and wake at 6 or 7am they will still check the phone just before they go to sleep and as they wake up.

"Goodness knows what they think will happen on social networking sites and with friends and family while they are fast asleep.

"But the other thing iPhones, BlackBerrys and Android phones all have in common is their entertainment value - so whatever your location you can continue reading, playing games and communicating."

But has our fixation with our phones gone too far? A brave 44 per cent admit they are addicted to checking their mobile phones, while 54 per cent would get out of bed to hunt for their handset if they had forgotten to take it to bed.