Effect of mobile phone usage before bedtime

Mobile phones are an addiction nowadays, and we don’t mind sacrificing our sleep to scroll on social media apps. We often promise ourselves an early sleep and end up scrolling on our mobile phones until morning. There are numerous effects of using a phone at night.

When we use our mobile phones before bedtime, it disrupts our sleep cycle. Our brain starts sending alert signals to the body instead of sleepy signals, which results in difficulty falling asleep or poor sleep quality.

What are the effects of restricting mobile phone use at bedtime?

Going to bed and falling asleep must be a peaceful and relaxing experience. Using a mobile phone too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep, and you could end up staring at the ceiling for hours. Restricting mobile phone usage before bedtime:

Improve sleep duration.
Increased working memory.
Reduced pre-sleep arousal.

Why is screen time unhealthy before bed?

Screen time before bed adversely affects sleep patterns and ultimately affects overall health. It leads to:

Irregular sleep-wake patterns.
Tiredness during the day.
Sleep loss.
Pre-sleep hyperarousal

How Mobile Phone Impacts Sleep

Mobile phones are intended to make our lives easier, but we keep ourselves so busy and entertained with them, even during our sleep hours. It can affect our health negatively. Below are the effects of using the phone at night:

It keeps your mind engaged.
Blue light from mobile mimics daylight and keeps you alert.
You may encounter content that causes intense emotions.

Conclusion

An adult needs at least 7 hours of sleep. If you have difficulty sleeping, change your night routine and adopt habits that soothe your mind and keep you relaxed, such as reading a book, avoiding caffeine, and taking a hot bath.

By incorporating these habits into your nighttime routine, you could fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed and energized. Remember, taking care of your sleep is taking care of your health!