It's 10:00pm, and you decide to check Facebook before going to sleep. Do you realize what that simple act is doing to your body?
There is a lot of information on the web about the impact of screen-time on sleep patterns. In one study with 10,000 teens in Norway, those who used a smart phone or computer one hour before bed were more likely to get less than 5 hours of sleep; and the longer those teens spent in front of the screen during the day, the more likely they were going to take longer falling asleep at night.
However, other studies, one from Harvard and the other from the Mayo Clinic, suggest that it is only when the brightness of the screen is at its highest that melatonin levels the keep one awake are effected.
The fact is we remain guinea pigs in a decade-long or more experiment on the impacts of smartphone and other such technologies on the body and mind. From cancer to attention disorders to overly abbreviated speech, we have yet to fully understand and realize the impacts these devices will prove to have on us.
While the studies seem conflicting, it is advisable to do the following:
1. Turn off your mobile device before going to bed: Do you really want this radioactive device running all night by your head while you sleep? As well, what if some brown-noser from work sends out an email at 2am? You'll be tempted to answer it, which will keep you from sleeping.
2. If you must have it on, keep it somewhere you can't reach it, for similar reasons to the above.
3. Stop looking at your computer or smartphone/tablet at least one hour before going to bed.
4. Use alternative media, if need be: How about reading books instead of ebooks, or reading a magazine instead of reading your smart device.
5. Turn the brightness of your screen down: following the Harvard and Mayo clinic studies, you might be able to ward off the effects of the screen by keeping the brightness turned down and holding your device about one foot away from your face.
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