Do you have separation anxiety from your phone? Many people do. After all, it’s not just a game show term now—our phones really are our lifelines these days. They hold our schedules, GPS directions, emails, reminders, photos and videos, and contact info for everyone we care about.
It’s hard to believe anyone actually lived without a smartphone. (And some people still do—gasp!)
But excessive attentiveness to your phone or tablet could be harming your sleep. The National Sleep Foundation tells us that nearly all millennials sleep with their smartphones next to their beds. Many of them don’t silence their phones before sleep and thus it’s no wonder that about 10 percent are awoken regularly by calls, texts or emails. If awoken by a message, half will check their phones immediately.
Our constant access to phones and tablets, and therefore electronic games and communications, could be upsetting our sleep rhythms.
According to the foundation, 60 percent of people ages 13-64 have trouble sleeping. Sixty-three percent of us feel we don’t get enough sleep, and 15 percent of adults get less than six hours on weeknights. This is not good. When it comes to maintaining good health, sleep is second only to breathing and drinking water.
Ninety-five percent of people surveyed by the foundation used electronics within an hour of going to sleep at night. We’re still learning about the potential impacts of this, but we do know that using self-luminous displays like those on smartphones and iPads, for example, can significantly suppress melatonin production.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by our brains that tells us to get sleepy. So even if you’re very tired, you could inadvertently avoid the Land of Nod by compulsively checking that precious phone of yours.
Whatever is an electroholic to do? This ailment is not so easy to overcome. But fear not—you don’t have to overcome it altogether to get better Zzzs. Here are some helpful tips on developing more sleep-friendly nighttime rhythms:
- Replace that phone or iPad with a book. E-readers such as the Kindle use different light displays that don’t impact sleepiness. And of course, those good ole-fashioned paper pages don’t, either!
- Keep a journal by your bed and write down any milling thoughts and worries before bed. It helps to quiet the mind.
- Listening to gentle, relaxing music also helps some folks unwind.
- Avoid interaction with any blue-light electronics (smartphones, TVs, computers and tablets other than e-readers) within the hour before you go to bed.
Is your phone wreaking havoc on your sleep? Share your stories and tips for coping with bedtime electronic withdrawal!