Your quality of sleep will always determine your performance during the day. It, therefore, implies that failure to get adequate sleep will limit your productivity. Did you know that using your phone in bed has been considered as the biggest barrier to getting good sleep?
Using your phone in bed, delays your circadian clock rhythm, prolonging the amount of time you take to fall asleep. Based on a study by Harvard researchers, here are some reasons you need to stop using your phone in bed.
- Delays or Messes with the Circadian Clock Rhythm
We have an internal clock that runs in the background of our system between alertness and sleepiness at regular intervals. This 24-hour clock is known as the circadian clock system. It is very important as it determines our metabolism, appetite, mood, and risk of developing conditions like diabetes or possible cancer.
A well-synched circadian rhythm is, therefore, important for human health. This is because almost the entire body function depends on this rhythm. You can mess up the circadian clock system by exposing yourself to artificial light during night hours, which mostly originates from screens and phones. Therefore, it is important to avoid using your phone in bed at night to ensure that this system remains intact.
- Delays the Time to Fall Asleep
The use of phones in bed has also been found to prolong the time one takes to fall asleep. From the Harvard research, it was found that individuals using the blue light emitted from phone or tablet screen takes an average of 10 minutes more to fall asleep compared to individuals reading a print book. It is, therefore, vital to keep off the phone while in bed for adequate sleep.
- Lowers the REM Sleep
REM sleep is very crucial as it aids in solidifying your problem-solving skills, memories, and creativity. Generally, REM sleep is the stage of sleep, which is vital for the restoration of the body and mind. The use of a phone in bed reduces REM sleep. Hence, you are likely going to get that groggy feeling and concentration problems in the morning.
- You Become Less Alert and Tired Once You Wake
According to a Harvard study, researchers found that using your phone right before sleeping leads to a sleepy and fatigued morning. This implies that you will be less active and productive the entire day compared to individuals who read printed books instead right before sleep.
- Keeps You Feeling Less Sleepy and More Alert
Using the phone when lying in bed isn’t really relaxing, instead, it keeps you awake for long hours. As a result, you remain active for the better part of the night. Consequently, you should expect to get less sleep than recommended by experts. This denies you the relaxation and rejuvenation of deep, quality and adequate sleep. You are, therefore, likely to feel exhausted after waking up. Additionally, you also end up struggling to remain active and struggle to concentrate for the rest of the day.
- Suppresses the Melatonin Secretion
The circadian rhythm is perfectly maintained by the melatonin hormone. This hormone also plays a great role in enhancing deep and restorative sleep. More interestingly, it plays the role of protecting the health of the brain. When exposed to low dim lights at night, the production of melatonin will be decreased; hence you fail to get deep and restorative sleep. As a result, this compromises the health of your brain.
The above are some of the impacts of using phones in bed. Everyone should, therefore, get adequate sleep for increased productivity and growth among the kids. The use of phones exposes your entire health and performance to risk. This is through suppressing the production of melatonin hormones, lowering REM sleep, and prolonging the time to fall asleep among others. Avoid using your phone in bed and witness a whole new you. Maybe it’s the time to unplugging from Social Media as well.
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