How Technology is Keeping You From Your Best Sleep
You may have heard that you should be keeping your gadgets and technology out of the bedroom, but you may not know just how much damage these items are doing to your quality of sleep. There are many reasons, both physical and psychological, that you should distance yourself from technology when you’re winding down at the end of the day.
Blue Light
The blue light that phones, tablets and even TV's emit restrict the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep faster and regulates your circadian rhythm. If you have a hard time falling asleep when you lie down, take a look at how recently before bed you are looking at a phone, tablet or television. Attempt to cut yourself off from screens at least 30 minutes before bed and see if this helps you to sleep easier and sounder.
Tricking Your Brain
While you may think that finishing up on some work or watching an interesting TV show up until that moment you’re ready for sleep is no big deal, you may actually be tricking your brain into thinking that it still needs to be alert and engaged. It’s actually really hard for our brains to go from a serious level of engagement to sleep that quickly. Although there are some people who can do this, the majority of the population needs time to wind down with an easy book or conversation with a loved one for an hour or so before bed to easily drift into sleep.
Technology Addiction
Technology addiction is not a new conversation, but most people don’t actually think that they have a problem. The reality is, if you find it hard to put your phone or tablet down at the end of the day to wind down, you may need to take a harder look… Fortunately your nighttime routine might be the perfect scenario to distance yourself from technology and get a much needed break. We challenge you to pick up a book you’ve been wanting to read that’s collecting dust and try reading for 30 minutes before you’d like to go to sleep (instead of letting yourself scroll). We can basically guarantee that you will fall sleep faster, stay asleep easier and you can practice putting some space between you and your devices.