Anyone who takes their smartphone to bed with them sleeps less healthily. Not only the blue light of the display, but also new messages disturb the night’s sleep.
You probably know that:
All you really wanted to do was read an article or a message from a friend on your smartphone or read – and suddenly it’s well past midnight again.
- According to the latest studies , mobile phone users – especially children and adolescents – are increasingly suffering from lack of sleep.
- This is not only due to the never-ending flood of information, but also to the blue light on the computer displays.
Using your smartphone as an alarm clock is not only practical, it could also negatively affect your sleep.
If you regularly feel tired and powerless after getting up, then you should definitely read on.
Index
This is how smartphones keep us awake
LED displays contain a greater proportion of blue light than daylight. This suppresses the release of melatonin.
- The body releases this sleep hormone in the evening to “shut down” the body.
- We ourselves experience the effects noticeably: we feel tired & fall asleep faster.
The body’s own melatonin is therefore also used as a sleep aid – for example to prevent jet lag when flying.
Info box: internal clock
Our sleep rhythm is strongly influenced by light. Daylight with a high blue content keeps us awake, while reddish light (like at sunset) or darkness promote the release of sleep hormones.
The blue light of the smartphones prevents falling asleep
When staring at mobile phone displays, computer screens or e-books, the body reacts as if it were still in the middle of the day.
It releases less sleep hormones & we stay awake longer. The sleep rhythm gets mixed up, which is why we still feel tired the next morning.
In the long term, the body can even unlearn how to sleep healthily. Irregular sleep times and a lack of melatonin can lead to serious sleep disorders.
Filter out blue light & get a better night’s sleep
Blocking blue light is an effective way of doing this. Nowadays there are numerous apps that reduce the amount of blue light in cell phones.
- You can also work on your home computer in the evening that is easier on the eyes, for example with the lux program .
- In the latest versions of Windows, Android & OSX, these blue light filters are even included as standard.
So if you regularly read electronic displays in the evening, then you should definitely ensure that there is more red light.
Harvard University researchers recommend avoiding blue light for up to 3 hours before going to sleep.
However, this is often not enough
Smartphones not only keep us awake with rays of blue light, but also with exciting news, messages from friends or that one funny cat video that you absolutely want to watch before bed.
- This never-ending stream of information is not only incredibly interesting, but also delays falling asleep.
- Notifications or vibrations stimulate our body and put it in a state of alarm – you could be missing out on something.
And let’s be honest: For many , doing without a smartphone is more difficult than downloading an app against too much blue light.
However, if you suffer from sleep problems – for example falling asleep late or lack of drive in the morning – this can also be due to too many electronic devices in the bedroom.
Smartphone fasting in the bedroom
For this reason, more and more people are deciding not to take their cell phones into the bedroom at all.
- If it’s on the bedside table, then the temptation to just write 1 message quickly is too great.
- Many parents also only allow the cell phone during the day – and consciously set limits on its use.
Studies have shown that children’s sleep is particularly hard hit by the flood of electronic devices.
This can even go so far that children can no longer develop a normal sleep rhythm with too much TV & cell phone use.
Too little sleep is one of the most common triggers for illnesses and poor concentration.
Try it out: the benefits are palpable
Even if you personally do not have any severe sleep disorders and only occasionally need a little more sleep, it can be worthwhile not to use your smartphone at night.
- How much time do you spend reading news pages & Facebook that you would rather put in a good book?
- Don’t you often feel that you don’t have enough time to relax or talk to your partner in bed?
- Is it sometimes difficult to switch off because you take everyday and work problems with you to bed and are always available?
Taking some time to yourself can help solve these problems .
Replace reading on your smartphone with your own personal sleep ritual
Leave the cell phone outside and instead begin a routine that prepares your body for bedtime.
Such a sleep ritual is one of the most effective remedies for better sleep and can be almost anything:
- Relaxation exercises: 10 minutes of meditation (or just relaxing in bed) dispel worries and increase well-being.
- Journal or diary: Record your thoughts and experiences of the past day. Write everything down so you don’t keep it in mind.
- Yoga & light stretching: 5 minutes of relaxed stretching round off the day and prevent painful tension while sleeping.
- Prepare for the next day: Prepare suitable clothing or write down the most important goals for the next day.
It’s best to start with 1 single thing. Over time, you can expand your sleep routine according to your personal needs.
PS: Here is the most important aid for sleeping without a smartphone
Confident smartphone fans will probably wonder how they can get out of bed without a cell phone alarm.
Very simple: In the distant past (you may still remember it) humanity had to rely on simpler wake-up helpers.
And they still exist.
So if you plan to sleep better now and banish your cell phone from the bedroom, then you can use today to buy a suitable alarm clock .
I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.