It s no surprise that smartphones are deeply integrated into people s everyday lives in this digitally-oriented world. It s becoming an extension of one s hand, whether you re tech-savvy or addicted to scrolling through different feeds to pass the time. It s easy to reach over your phone when you re idle, and the time spent waiting for the sandman to whisk you off to sleep seems like the prime opportunity to check for one last update. While there s nothing wrong with catching up on social media, using smartphones before bed can have devastating effects on your health in more ways than one. People need quality sleep to function properly, which begs the question: how does nighttime mobile phone usage compromise your sweet dreams?
1. Using Phones At Night Can Damage Your Eyes
More than ruining your chance at sleep, the blue light emitted from your phone can also have serious repercussions on your eyes in the long run. Keep in mind that blue light is often healthy, especially when you get it from the sun as it signals the mind to stay sharp and alert. Overexposure to blue light, on the other hand, can disrupt the production of melatonin in the brain. This will minimize your ability to feel sleepiness, which can facilitate insomnia in the long haul. Other adverse reactions include possible risks of loss of vision as the blue light can destroy your retinas, causing macular degeneration and digital eye strain. If you must check your phone at night, you can shield your eyes from experiencing the harmful effects of blue light by changing the screen color using either the Night Shift feature in iOS or the Twilight app in android.
2. Using Phones At Night Can Reduce Your REM Sleep
After spending the better part of the night tossing and turning, another drawback of using your phone before sleeping is that it can cut down your REM sleep. This is a critical stage in your sleep cycle as it is the part where your mind and body experiences restoration, which can promote mental acuity, improves memory, inspires creativity, and sharpens your problem-solving skills. With little-to-no REM sleep, you ll likely feel like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed as the mind will be cloudy, groggy, and have poor concentration the next day.
3. Using Phones At Night Can Keep The Mind Awake
Smartphones are designed to encourage productivity, which clashes with the purpose of unwinding in bedrooms. Even if you are only using your phone mindlessly, it will not lull you to sleep as you are still absorbing information. Keeping your mind entertained will encourage wakefulness, which will take away from the peace, quiet, and relaxation you should associate in bedrooms.
The Bottom Line: The Importance Of Creating A Relaxing And Healthy Bedtime Routine
Sleep quality significantly impacts your overall well-being, which is why it s crucial to help you prompt your body and mind for sleep before you hit the snooze button. While it s tempting to reach over your phone and scroll through the feed, the list above shows how detrimental it can be. Speaking of establishing a good bedtime routine, one of the biggest factors that can make or mar the quality of your sleep is your mattress. That s why there are multiple, dedicated mattresses in the market that offer unique benefits from the impressive ability to adapt to the contours of your body, temperature control, pain relief, and more. If you re looking to get a good night s sleep, check us out. We provide comprehensive reviews on the best mattress brands in the USA so that you can sleep on cloud nine on your next buy!
