Screening Out Blue Light: Cell Phones and Sleep

Nowadays, many people feel like their phones have taken over their lives to an unhealthy extent. If you ask around, you’ll find plenty of people who will say that they are unhealthily attached to social media at the expense of their mental health.

As it turns out, there’s also a lot of evidence that cell phone use could have an adverse effect on the quality of your sleep. If you want to know more, as well as what you can do to get your forty winks, here’s some information that you might find interesting.

The Importance of Circadian Rhythm

Humans are diurnal, which means that we generally prefer to be awake during the day and to sleep through the night. In order to maintain this balance, the body keeps an “internal clock” that keeps us alert while the sun is up. This sense of time is called a circadian rhythm, and it is closely related to people’s sleep cycles.

How Can Cell Phones Affect Sleep?

The body can figure out whether it’s day or night by the presence of the sun, and more specifically, the presence of blue light. Other light sources, like fire, don’t tend to include very much blue light. This means that light waves at this frequency are typically a good indicator to the body that sun is out.

At least, that used to be the case. Much of modern technology—cell phones, tablets, computer screens—also tend to emit this blue light. This can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms, which will in turn harm your ability to sleep smoothly through the night.

This can be especially pronounced if you have other sleep disorders as well, like sleep apnea. At the end of the day this may lead to chronic fatigue and a poor mood during the day.

How To Sleep Soundly

If you are worried about the effect that cell phones are having on your ability to sleep soundly, it’s a good idea to refrain from using them before bed. You might consider making your bedroom an electronic-free zone, as this can help your body to maintain its circadian rhythms.

And if you are worried that you might have a more serious sleep disorder, you could make an appointment with a sleep dentist or sleep doctor.

About the Author

When Dr. Ivan Paskalev talks to his patients, he hears all the time about the negative effects that a poor night’s sleep can have. This motivates him to always learn more about his field, allowing him to provide his patients with the excellent dental care that they deserve. Dr. Paskalev has been in dentistry for over two decades now; he completed his sleep apnea training at OSA University and is currently enrolled in the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine’s Mastery Program.

If you have any questions about how you can get better sleep, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (541) 246-8284.