Do you find yourself fumbling with your phone in bed before bed? What’s the harm in checking one more photo or email right? There’s evidence to suggest that this is the reason why you feel so tired in the morning. In fact, a recent study of nearly 850 adults found that using a mobile phone after turning the lights off was associated with worse sleep quality, more insomnia, and more symptoms of fatigue.
Why is my phone so evil?
Your phone emits blue light which disrupts your body’s natural sleep cycle. This causes your body to suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone critical to putting your mind to sleep and keeping it there. Beyond preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep, blue light is considered a stressor by the body. In response, stress hormones are produced that can really affect your overall health. The combination of higher stress hormones and lower levels of melatonin have been linked to serious health conditions like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
What can you do?
Are you part of the 71% of people who admit to sleeping with their phone every night? Make a goal to put your phone away an hour before you go to bed and see how it changes your sleep! Here are a few more suggestions from our experts: Read a physical book before bed If you work a night shift or use a lot of electronics at night, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses * After a certain time (8 pm) turn on night-mode (iPhone/Android) to protect your eyes. You can also use night mode on your mac or pc. This is all easier said than done. Give it a try. If you fail, try, try, try again!
References:
Publishing, H. (2018). Blue light has a dark side - Harvard Health. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-sideBreusPhD
M. (2018). Blocking Blue Light Helps Sleep?. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/201309/blocking-blue-light-helps-sleep
