I watch perhaps two episodes of my current television series on Netflix before going to sleep. I also text a few friends and send a few Snaps while curled up in my bed. What do all three of these activities have in common? They all are killing the effectiveness of my sleep.
All of our gadgets that emit their bright glow in the night also have a dark side to the light they emit. Normally, as night creeps closer, the pineal gland in the brain slowly releases the sleep-inducing drug by the name of melatonin. Darkness increases the release of this drug, but unfortunately, our gadgets have the opposite effect. Wild animals are more fortunate, as once the sun is down for them, it is time to hit the bunker. However, we live in a high-tech world full of light-up gadgets, and the more we use them at night, the more blue light we are bombarded with, and this blue light, if received in high enough doses, will cause melatonin to completely stop its release. This has terrible effects, as it can lead to problems such as "Netflix binging" or "all-nighters", and the night doesn't end until melatonin can build up to high concentration to force you to rest your eyes in exhaustion. Forcing your eyes to stay open until the very last second of night has its repercussions on health the next day.
A poll by the Sleep Foundation shows that 58% of teenagers reportedly receive less than 7 hours of sleep, far less than the 8.5-10 hours reccomended by medical professionals. Personally, I receive about 6.75 hours of sleep a night, and I attribute this to my urge to fall asleep watching Netflix or YouTube. However, boycotting the use of electronics before bed not only allows a person to fall asleep faster and sooner, giving more hours of rest, but a person also becomes a deeper sleeper, receiving a higher quality of sleep alongside the other benefits. So next time you decide to use your cell phone or watch TV right before bed, remember technology's negative effect on your sleep.
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I think this is a great topic on your blog. I have recently started ( two weeks in) putting my electronics away and then doing homework or studying until I go to bed, and I feel like it has helped me fall asleep quicker once I actually decide to go to bed.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great topic on your blog. I have recently started ( two weeks in) putting my electronics away and then doing homework or studying until I go to bed, and I feel like it has helped me fall asleep quicker once I actually decide to go to bed.
ReplyDelete