Who doesn’t use their smartphone or watch some TV at night? If you don’t, you’re in the minority: according to the Sleep in America poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 95% of Americans admit to using some type of electronic device in the hour before bedtime. This in spite of the fact that well-established research has revealed the negative health effects of the blurring line between sleeping and surfing.

Children and young adults in particular, who are most likely to be using electronics on a continual basis, are most in need of sleep and also most susceptible to the negative effects of using phones in bed. Kids who bring their phone to the sleeping area have later bedtimes, sleep less on average, and report greater sleepiness.

Read on to discover three reasons why turning on electronics before going to bed interferes with a deep sleep.

1. Distractions, distractions

Who hasn’t inadvertently gotten carried away in browsing the Internet or watching a good movie, and suddenly found themselves with a later-than-expected bedtime?

Unfortunately, that’s only the root of the problem. Even once you’ve gone to bed, the knowledge that a cell phone is only an armlength away can keep you from getting a completely restful night’s sleep. If we know that checking our phone might reveal something interesting, important, or rewarding—like an email or social media update—we will want, even subconsciously, to monitor it. This state of “threat vigilance” keeps us from relaxing fully. The result is a lighter sleep that can more easily be interrupted—by a text message, for instance.

If we succumb to the temptation of checking that message or email, the activity activates neurons in our brains and cause our bodies to tense up, both of which are not conducive to sleep. Before you know it you could be wide awake and even less likely than ever to return to a rejuvenating rest.

2. “Light” sleeping

Another surprising but scientifically proven disruption is the light associated with electronic devices.

The human brain uses light signals to help regulate our normal circadian rhythms. We associate darkness with tranquility and restfulness, and light with wakefulness and activity. Furthermore, cell phone and computer screens emit a disproportionate amount of blue light, to which our retinas are particularly sensitive. Even though the light emitted by a smartphone is not as intense as broad daylight, it is enough to trick our brain into acting like it’s daytime. This luminescence delays the release of melatonin, a hormone that promotes drowsiness, and impairs our ability to doze off.

The bottom line: being nose-to-nose with a cell phone right before hitting the sac will not make it easy to fall asleep.

3. Healthy Habits

The last aspect of media in the bedroom is behavioral. Maintaining healthy sleep habits is very important to getting the rest you need. Keeping electronics out of the sleeping area reserves it as an area for relaxation and slumber—not work, communication, or entertainment. If you establish a routine of getting into bed and falling asleep, it’s more than likely that that’s exactly what you’ll continue to do!

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Resources: National Sleep Foundation, WebMD, Daily Mail, 

Photo Credit: m01229