We spend so much time on our mobile phones these days, but did you know that it could be affecting your sleep? It's tempting to want to use your phone just before bed, as you start to wind down and drift off to sleep, but banishing it from your bedroom may actually benefit your sleep and improve your health. Here are 4 reasons why you should banish your mobile from the bedroom.
1. Blue light
The light emitted from our phone screens has a higher concentration of blue light than natural light and this wavelength is particularly detrimental to a good night’s sleep. Blue light suppresses the hormone melatonin which makes us sleepy. However, the effect of blue light doesn’t just hinder our ability to fall asleep; melatonin is also responsible for cell restoration and a lack of melatonin has been linked to increased risk of cancers and other diseases. It is therefore recommended that you leave your phone alone at least an hour before you go to bed so that your body has time to trigger the increase in melatonin.
2. Square eyes
So, maybe the old wives tale isn’t true and screens won’t give you square eyes… but they can give you macular degeneration. Excessive use of mobile devices is leading to a spike in retinal stress among young people, according to optometrists. In fact, there is even a medical term for this new age phenomenon: Digital eye-strain. Much like carpal tunnel syndrome, this strain is caused from repetitive eye motion and symptoms include dry eyes, pain-like fatigue, and blurred vision which can all lead to premature macular degeneration.
3. Stress
Are you guilty of sending late-night work emails? Phone use before bed dramatically increases our stress levels. The response to increased stress is the release of cortisol in our brains. This triggers our fight-or-flight response, which can keep you awake and reduce the quality of your sleep once you’re finally able to drift off.
4. Fire hazard
A well-known technical fault in certain Samsung phones results in batteries exploding, but this risk is not isolated to only Samsung devices; there have been countless cases of fires started by mobile phones left charging underneath pillows. Devices can easily overheat when airflow is restricted, so placing a charging phone under your pillow, bedsheets, or even your body is a fire or explosion waiting to happen. If this isn’t scary enough, our sense of smell is not active during sleep so don’t rely on the smell of burning to wake you up before it is too late. Charging devices should always be left on solid non-flammable surface and preferably not overnight.
Do you want to get 10% OFF your next purchase? Simply CLICK HERE to get the offer!
Want to know more about improving your sleep, health and wellbeing? Come to the shop and and say hello! Find us at 40-42 Church St, Reigate RH2 0AJ or give us a call on 01737 222 237 - we'll be happy to help 🙂
Comments