If you tend to wake up exhausted, you might want to consider your evening screentime consumption. According to sleep doctors, using phones, tablets or computers at night can get in the way of good sleep.According to Dr. Nancy Abbey Collop, MD,the director of the Emory Sleep Center in Atlanta, Georgia, one major reason screentime disrupts sleep is the screen's blue light. “There are cells in the back of our eyeballs that send signals to our brain about the light and dark cycle, impacting our circadian rhythm. In the light spectrum, blue light is the most impactful on those sensors and actually suppresses the release of melatonin in the brain, which normally starts to be released with sundown. Melatonin assists with sleep onset and maintenance, so delaying its release results in delayed sleep onset,” Dr. Collop explains.Related: This Is the Most Important Habit To Have if You Want To Get 8 Hours of Sleep Tonight
Simply put, social media apps are addictive. “[Social media] companies have learned to feed us material that keeps us engaged and can feed into pathways associated with addiction. This can increase cortisol levels and sympathetic nervous system activity that promote arousal,” Dr. Schecter explains.Dr. Collop says that especially if what’s on one’s phone, tablet or computer is disturbing or energizing, it can disrupt sleep. For example, if you have a habit of using your phone to check the news or your work emails before you hit the lights, you may lie in bed awake, worrying about what you read or thinking about everything you have to do the next day.
What To Do Instead
Okay, so screens before bed is a no-go. What should you do instead? Both sleep doctors recommend reading, not on your tablet, but an actual, physical book. “There is scientific evidence that shows reading with indirect light [such as an overhead light or sidetable lamp] is better than reading with the screen directly in front of your eyeball,” Dr. Collop says, adding that this is likely because it cuts down on blue light exposure.
Besides reading a physical book, some other activities you can work into your bedtime routine that support sleep instead of disrupting it include moving through some gentle stretches, meditating, writing out three things you are grateful for or taking a warm shower or bath.
Screens have certainly become ingrained into our daily routines, but there’s no need for us to use them 24/7. If your screentime is getting in the way of you getting good sleep, it’s time to cut back on your use, especially in the evening. Your health depends on it!
Related: The One Thing You Should Never, Ever Do in the Hour Before Going To Sleep, According to Cardiologists
Sources:
Dr. Nancy Abbey Collop, MD, Director of the Emory Sleep Center in Atlanta, GeorgiaDr. Scott Schecter, MD, sleep doctor with University of Virginia HealthHence then, the article about waking up exhausted this one mistake could be why sleep experts warn was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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