It may seem more than logical that having your smartphone within arm’s reach just before bedtime isn’t wise.
However, many people don’t know the potential risks behind innocently scrolling before sleeping.
Dr Michael Breus, clinical psychologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, recently said that night time scrolling might seem harmless, but doing so could interfere with the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
“The body relies on circadian rhythms to know when to initiate sleep versus when to feel awake.
“The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour biological process that mimics the rise and fall of the sun. A specific part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus uses external cues such as light to determine if it is time for sleep.
“At night, the body normally reacts to the darkness by releasing melatonin. This hormone signals that it’s time to sleep,” Breus said.
However, according to Breus and various recent studies, one of the major culprits in the damage caused by browsing your smartphone before bed – is the blue light emitted by the smartphone screen.
“Our brains are very sensitive to light, and the blue light emitted from cellphones and other electronic devices delays melatonin production. Lack of melatonin can make it difficult to fall asleep, which can lead to insomnia and fatigue over time,” he added.
Recent studies suggest that blue light could reduce the amount of time the body spends in slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep, regarded as two of the most important stages of sleep which can affect a person’s mood and memory.
A study by the Harvard Medical School into blue light revealed that while exposure to any light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, the hormone which controls circadian rhythm – blue light at night does so more powerfully.
“Harvard researchers and their colleagues conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The blue light suppresses melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs 1.5 hours),” the study said.
So how long before bed should you ditch your smartphone? While answers vary according to numerous studies, the average time suggested by experts is revealed to be between one and two hours before bed. Meanwhile, some studies show less tendency to use a smartphone at night when placed in another room.
IOL Tech