Technology in the bedroom can interfere with sleep in a number of ways.
A 2015 study demonstrated that exposure to the blue light that devices emit can suppress melatonin and interrupt your circadian clock. Both of these effects can make it harder to fall asleep and result in
you being less alert in the morning
Sleep disorders
We love our devices so much that many of us even sleep with them.
One study found that 44% of cell phone owners keep their phone next to their bed at night to ensure they don’t miss a thing. In a 2011 poll, 95 percent of adults said they regularly use their devices right before bedtime.
It might seem like a harmless habit, but late-night technology use can interfere with your ability to sleep.
Artificial light exposure between dusk and the time we go to bed at night suppresses the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, enhances alertness and shifts circadian rhythms to a later hour—making it more difficult to fall asleep,” says Charles Czeisler, MD, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
To avoid sleep disruption, try replacing late-night technology use with sleep-conducive activities such as taking a bath or reading in bed.
Resisting the urge to keep the phone on your nightstand can also help minimize nighttime interruptions.
Sleep Deprivation And Screen Strain
There is evidence that our daily ‘screen time’ has multiple negative effects on our mental health, causing sleep disturbance, headaches and mood problems including Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Depression.
Staring at a screen for too long can exhaust our sight, causing our vision to become blurry, and drying out our eyes. You may also experience tension headaches as another result of digital eye strain. Research shows that excessive tech use – particularly right before bedtime – can have an adverse impact on our sleep cycles thanks to the glowing light that’s emitted from screens.
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