Screen Time vs. Sleep – Does Electronic Device Impact Your Sleep?

Do you use electronic devices, like mobile phones, tablets, or laptops, before going to sleep? Nowadays, most people have developed the habit of using their cell phones before bed. They may prefer to watch a movie or daily news or go through social media to enjoy enormous content.

Many prepare a bedroom, ideal for falling asleep, with perfect lighting, a cozy mattress, or a latex topper. However, they end up each night staring at their electronic screens and sleeping late. This is one of the major reasons why people are developing unhealthy sleep habits worldwide.

It is important to calm your body and mind before you go to sleep. Several studies have shown that using devices with backlit screens before bedtime can affect your health adversely. This article will explain how your electronic devices impede the quality of your sleep.

How Electronic Devices Affect Your Sleep Quality

Electronic devices are designed to make our lives easier. An increase in screen time can impact your mood, mind, and behavior. Here are some points to know how your electronic gadgets act on your sleep quality.

• Impacts Cardiac Rhythm

The cardiac rhythm of your body signifies an internal body clock that regulates your sleep-wake patterns. At night, when there is darkness in your room, your body produces melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone. The internal clock influences the production of melatonin and it informs our brain to sleep at that moment.

When it comes to light exposure, this clock sends signals to generate alertness. It keeps you awake and active. When the light of your cellphone or laptop falls on your face, it keeps you alert and holds up your sleep time.

• Causes Eye Strain

The screens of your electronic gadgets release an artificial blue light that imitates daylight. Staring at this light during the daytime can be alright since it keeps you more alert. However, the light causes stress on your eyes at night.

At the end of the day, your eyes need to rest. Screen exposure before bedtime causes unnecessary strain in your eyes instead of relaxing them.

It is also important to limit the screen time for your children to avoid sleep deprivation. Health professionals say that children’s eyes are not fully developed before the age of 14-15 years. Therefore, their eyes are much more sensitive to the exposure of blue light.

• Excites Your Mind

Before bed when you are engaged with your digital device’s screen, you may find exciting content on social media. You may find horror stories, comedy shows, or disturbing videos on the internet. It does not let your mind rest but boosts its alertness.

It might get difficult for some to shut their mind off after consuming content through their mobile devices, resulting in disturbed sleep. The information you consume stimulates your brain, which can influence your dreams too.

• Causes Insomnia in Teenagers

Screen exposure before bed is considered one of the common reasons for insomnia especially in teenagers. Screen time delays the release of melatonin. So, it takes more time than usual to fall asleep. Thus, it’s best to create a comfortable sleep environment by investing in a latex topper, which can help your teenager sleep peacefully on the surface.

The majority of young people need to wake up at a particular time due to their school routine or work timings. Screen time before bed reduces the time of their restful sleep at night. A lack of sleep leads to headaches, anxiety, depression, and negative behaviors in teenagers.

How to Prevent Gadgets from Spoiling Your Sleep

As stated above, one of the best ways to have a good sleep is by bringing in a natural latex topper whose optimal comfort level will help in falling asleep faster.

But what if you keep scrolling through the internet by lying on your cozy bed? It’s time to keep the gadgets aside from your attention.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, it is essential to detach yourself from blue screens 30 minutes before going to bed. Keeping aside your electronic devices, especially your mobile phone, during bedtime can be difficult in the start, but here are certain ways you can easily ignore your gadgets before bedtime:

• Listen to some soothing music.
• If you’re not feeling sleepy, practice meditation.
• Try keeping your phone away from your reach and not beside the bed.
• Stop responding to emails or messages at night.
• Read a book.
• Invest in quality bedding sets, most importantly a good mattress and an organic latex topper.
• If you still cannot control using your phone, consider using an internet or app blocker only for your resting time.

The Bottom Line

After spending a long day, juggling between multiple activities, your body needs to rest at night. One should be disciplined about sleeping at a particular time every night because electronic devices are here to stay and misusing them will hamper your sleep quality.

The above-mentioned points show how important it is to avoid electronic devices at night for at least 30 minutes before hitting the bed. After a few weeks, if you still face difficulties in sleeping, consider consulting a sleep expert to improve your sleep condition.