{"id":28257,"date":"2024-03-24T15:04:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T19:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/restonic.com\/sin-categorizar\/electronics-bed-affects-sleep-9682"},"modified":"2024-06-27T13:47:13","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T17:47:13","slug":"electronics-bed-affects-sleep-9682","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/restonic.com\/es\/blog-es\/electronics-bed-affects-sleep-9682","title":{"rendered":"Electronics in Your Bedroom & How They Affect Your Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why unplugging at the end of the day is best thing you can do for your sleep health<\/h2>\n

We get it. Unplugging at the end of the day is hard. Between smartphones and tablets, email, Facebook and texting, our digital chores never seem to end. We\u2019re in constant contact with others and there\u2019s always one more thing to attend to before shutting down. While all this communication has improved our lives in a multitude of ways, connectivity has its place. And that place is not your bedroom.<\/p>\n

The message is simple. If you\u2019re serious about getting a good night\u2019s sleep, power down your electronics and leave them outside your bedroom.<\/p>\n

The science of light & sleep<\/h2>\n

\"ElectronicsLet\u2019s talk about the science of light and how it can promote wakefulness \u2013 or lull your brain into a state of relaxation. Photoreceptors in your retina sense light and dark, sending signals to your brain about the status of the outside world and aligning your circadian rhythms to the external day-night cycle. Studies have shown that even our smallest electronic devices emit sufficient light to miscue the brain and promote wakefulness. What does this mean? Before we even shut our eyes, our quality of sleep is already compromised because our brain thinks maybe we should be awake instead. Talk about a conflict of interest.<\/p>\n

And the light that\u2019s so disruptive? You can thank blue wavelengths, which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times and mood. But at night, blue light is disruptive to sleep. Most electronic screens employ these blue wavelengths, as do a lot of our energy-efficient lighting choices. The light causes a delay in the natural release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Melatonin controls your sleep and wake cycles allowing you to fall asleep, stay asleep and then rise in the morning. Delaying the production of melatonin will prolong the journey in reaching the ultimate destination \u2013 sleep.<\/p>\n

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When the sun goes down, it\u2019s time to reduce our exposure so our brains can begin winding down for the night.<\/p>\n

While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light does it much more powerfully. Harvard researchers<\/a> conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure of green light with comparable brightness. The blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours). So if your last minute tweets and Facebook updates happen right before bed, you\u2019re setting your brain up for a restless night.<\/p>\n

Ready to make your bedroom an electronic-free space?<\/h2>\n

According to research, more than 85% of adults have at least one screen in front of them before bedtime, which means there\u2019s a whole lot of people walking around with disrupted sleep. Disrupted sleep patterns can have negative implications for overall performance in everyday life and cause long-term health issues. The simple truth is that our brains, bodies and sleep cycles are all affected when we bring our\u00a0electronic devices to bed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With all this research proving that light, especially light from your smartphone and tablet, disrupts sleep \u2013 it just makes sense to unplug and tune out before bed, right?<\/p>\n

In order to help prepare your brain and body for bed, we suggest putting your electronics to bed an hour before you plan to sleep. As well, use warm, dim lighting in your bedroom at night to help you adjust and prepare for sleep. Finally, if you must use your smartphone or tablet, consider using night mode, which changes the glow of your screen from blue hues to warmer, red hues. This will help the light generated by your phone or tablet be less stimulating.<\/p>\n

Ready to find a new sleep partner? Because the ones we have now \u2013 our phones, televisions, and tablets \u2013 are robbing us of precious hours of sleep.<\/p>\n

Let there be sleep, not light<\/h2>\n

Consistently throwing off your sleep times can cause what is referred to as \u201cdelayed sleep syndrome,\u201d where your body physically can\u2019t fall asleep naturally until a late or delayed bedtime. Don\u2019t worry<\/a>\u00a0though \u2013 your sleeper\u2019s not broken. It just needs to be re-calibrated. To readjust your natural sleep time, plug into these helpful tips:<\/p>\n