Trouble Sleeping? Nighttime Device Use Could Be the Cause
If you find yourself tossing and turning late into the night, the culprit could be the smartphone or tablet charging on the nightstand beside you. Studies have shown that the blue wavelengths emitted by electronic devices may interfere with the brain’s natural rhythms.
The human brain is built to prepare for sleep, sensing the natural rise and fall of daylight. As the sun goes down, the body begins to ready itself for bedtime, with melatonin levels rising as the evening progresses. But more than 90 percent of Americans use a device of some type in the final hour before bedtime, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Experts point out that electronic devices aren’t the only culprit. Sleep scientist Kenneth Wright recently pointed out to Popular Mechanics that we now live in a world where artificial lights simulate daylight twenty-four hours a day.
Wright conducted a study on eight adults sent to live in the Colorado Rockies. No electronic devices were allowed, and they were required to live with only natural daylight for the duration of their trip. After one week, Wright studied the melatonin levels of participants, finding that the sleep schedule of each person had quickly adjusted to match the natural rise and fall of the sun.
The problem with today’s electronic devices is that they are designed to be held close to the face. Unlike laptops and desktops, which are usually placed a good distance from the eyes, tablets and smartphones are designed to be held less than a foot from a person’s face.
Another study examined participants who wore light-detector goggles while using their tablets prior to bedtime. Researchers found that the higher the light dose, the lower the melatonin levels.
One problem with this research is that bedtime reading is a staple of many people’s daily rituals. As eReaders have begun to replace paper-based versions of books, these people are often reading on iPads and Kindle Fires. Readers such as the Kindle Paperwhite may be more conducive to bedtime reading because they don’t emit the type of light readers get from tablets.
As the problem has gained increased attention, app developers have come up with a solution. The download f.lux adjusts a screen to match a person’s surroundings, mostly to avoid that sudden, blinding moment that happens when responding to an email in a dark room.
With f.lux, a user enters details about his or her surroundings, and the app takes over from there. Throughout the day, the screen adjusts to match the room, the time of day, and other variables to provide a more natural experience.
Currently, f.lux is only available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, but the company is trying to get the app approved for iOS and Android. Tablet users can try dimming their screens at night to mute the effects. Or they could shut off their devices and pick up a paper-based book if they really want to read themselves to sleep.
