We live in an age where technology is omnipresent. From the moment we wake up, we are inundated with emails, notifications, messages, and other distractions that keep us wired throughout the day. Unfortunately, this can have a huge impact on our sleep at night—leaving us feeling tired and exhausted no matter how much time we spend in bed. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why technology is keeping you awake at night and what you can do about it.
Why Technology Keeps You Awake At Night?
One of the main reasons technology keeps us awake at night is because of blue light exposure. Blue light is emitted from your phone or laptop screen and mimics natural daylight—which tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime even when it’s dark outside. This exposure to blue light suppresses melatonin production which prevents you from feeling sleepy at night. Additionally, using devices before bedtime can also make it difficult for your mind to shut off as you are constantly being bombarded with information and stimulation that prevents you from relaxing enough to fall asleep. Finally, studies have shown that checking your phone or email before bedtime can increase stress levels which makes it even more difficult for your body to relax before going to sleep.
What You Can Do About It?
The best way to combat technology-induced sleeplessness is to limit your exposure to blue light in the evenings by avoiding screens for several hours before bedtime. If possible, try setting aside some time each evening where you don't use any electronic devices so that you don't get distracted by emails or messages while trying to wind down for sleep. Additionally, if you absolutely must use a device before bedtime make sure to turn on the “night shift/blue light filter” feature which will reduce the amount of blue light emitted from your device's screen in order to minimize disruption of melatonin production. Finally, avoid bright lights in general–including TVs–and instead opt for lower-intensity lighting such as lamps or candles during those last few hours leading up to bedtime so that your body knows it’s time for restful sleep rather than active engagement with devices or activities like work or studying that require intense concentration.
Technology has become an essential part of our lives but too much exposure can be detrimental—especially when it comes to our sleep quality and quantity! While there may be no easy fix for this issue, there are steps we can take such as limiting blue light exposure in the evenings and turning off screens a few hours before bedtime that can help improve our sleep quality so that we wake up feeling refreshed and energized each morning! By making simple changes like these we can make sure that technology isn't negatively impacting our health in any way!
Northeast Missouri Health Council, Partners for a lifetime of health
Medical, Dental, and Behavioral Clinics in Kirksville, Missouri, Macon, Missouri, Milan, Missouri, and Kahoka, Missouri. Visit our website to find the nearest clinic to you. www.nemohealthcouncil.com
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