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Brilio.net/en - Were all guilty of it. Magazines, doctors, and self help websites all say that we should keep electronics out of the bedroom for better sleep yet most of us hit the hay with out iPhones stashed safely under our pillows. Or better yet, we fall asleep to a Netflix rerun of Park and Recreation, most likely right after the theme song finishes. In fact this is so common that a 2011 study commissioned by the National Sleep Foundation found that a staggering 95% of Americans use some sort of electronic device within an hour of falling asleep at least once per week. Another 60% of Americans watch TV immediately before going to sleep every night or almost every night.
The warnings to keep electronics out of our bedrooms stems from the seemingly negative effects of the blue LED light, a wavelength that emits from most of our electronics. This light interferes with melatonin, a hormone that regulates the circadian rhythm. When the circadian cycle falls out of rhythm, it can make it harder to fall asleep and prevents the deeper stages of REM sleep.
Normally melatonin is secreted right around bedtime, when people would go to sleep, it begins to secrete and it peaks when you get to sleep, Stuart Quan, a Harvard Medicine physician in the sleep and circadian disorders section of Brigham and Womens Hospital, told VICE Journalist Jason Koebler. Right in that time frame, if you tend to try to fall asleep and youre exposed to light and especially blue light, it will tend to inhibit the production of melatonin and your ability to sleep.
Yet while the effects of light on sleep have been studied, there have been far less research studies conducted on the effects of television on sleep.
One reason why watching television could be better than playing a game on your phone is because television is an inherently passive activity that allows the mind to wander rather than engage you such as a game would.
The problem with the lack of studies is that they are expensive and there isnt a clear-cut group who would fund the studies. Maybe Netflix giant could possibly sponsor one such study but it is no lie that when corporate sponsors mix with scientific research, scientific independence comes into play.
For now, we can just watch more careful. Small changes such as limiting the use of cellphones and dimming the screens could possibly benefit the sleep cycle.
(Reported by: Ivana Lucic)
(brl/tis)
