Is technology affecting your sleep quality?

Technology is extremely useful, but it can also be highly distracting. There are so many things that we do on our phones, laptops, tablets, etc., that sometimes it can be hard to put down the devices. This is even hard at the time when a technology break may be the most important.

The first thing that happens when you use devices before bedtime is that blue light tricks your brain into thinking that it is day, and it stops sending signals for your body to produce melatonin, which is the hormone that makes you sleepy.

They also are addicting, and they trigger your brain to release dopamine, which is the hormone associated with pleasure. Every time your phone buzzes or dings, you may feel the urge to pull out your phone to check it because there is a possibility that it is something that you want. To add to that, because there is no set interval in which notifications appear, your brain may trick you into thinking you heard a ding or felt a vibrate. You may even get the urge to check it even if you know you didn’t hear anything.

Electronics also keep your brain running at peak performance when it would be more beneficial to just not have to think about anything. It may seem harmless to check a few emails, scroll through Instagram, or watch a movie, but these things keep your brain occupied.

Even if you don’t use your phone before bed, it can still have an effect on your sleep quality. If your phone is vibrating or ringing while you are sleeping, this will affect your sleep quality because these noises jolt you from sleep. According to sleep.org, about 72 percent of children ages six to 17 sleep with one or more electronic device in their bedroom. Their parents say that this leads to the students getting less sleep than those who don’t sleep with electronics in their room. The difference in sleep time adds up to nearly an hour per night. Also, the quality of sleep is negatively affected.

We are around electronics every day, and sometimes the best thing to do is to give our brains a break. Limiting the use of electronics in your bedroom can not only improve your sleep quality, but if you make a habit of not using electronics in bed, your brain can be trained to not anticipate notifications, which may make you fall asleep faster.