Scrolling through smartphones or watching television in bed has become a common practice in the current digital era. However, a new study that was released in Frontiers Psychiatry cautions that this activity substantially raises the risk of insomnia, particularly among adolescents and young adults.
With sleep quality already in decline, this study brings to light the startling implications of screen exposure at bedtime.
Screen Time Before Bed Harms Sleep Quality
Late-Night Screen Time Wrecking Sleep? New Study Says Insomnia Risk
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One study that was done on over 45,000 students in Norway found that increased bed use of screens raises the risk for insomnia by 59%. Every extra hour of screen time prior to sleep contributes to a 63% rise in the risk for insomnia and 24 less minutes slept.
The experts believe that long-term screen usage interferes with sleep and postpones the body’s natural shift to rest.
Furthermore, the findings indicated that more time spent on screens in bed is associated with a greater risk of reporting insomnia symptoms and reduced sleep duration,” the study found. This trend is concerning, as it implies that the more time spent on screens, the more difficult it is to get quality sleep.
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Night Owls Are the Most Affected by Delayed Sleep
Younger teenagers and youth are the groups most at risk for the harmful impacts of nocturnal screen usage. The report brings out the fact that children of this group have a high probability of long-term sleep problems that can manifest as perpetual weariness and impairment in the ability to concentrate by day. Delayed sleep behavior induced by overtime use of the screens is detrimental to both academics and mental stability.
As per the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 12% of US citizens have chronic insomnia, and almost a third of the population has occasional episodes of disrupted sleep. Bad sleeping habits, particularly those associated with screen time, tend to make these worse and harder to cure.
Social Media Isn’t the Only Culprit
Though social media is commonly held responsible for making users glued to their screens, researchers observed that other screen activities like gaming, streaming, and web browsing are equally detrimental. Though social media apps provide a never-ending stream of algorithm-driven content promoting endless scrolling, other digital activities also lead to poor sleep quality, according to Digital Trends.
“Irrespective of screen time, those only using social media had the lowest proportion reporting symptoms of insomnia and the longest sleep duration, while those who only engaged in other screen activities had the worst sleep,” the research paper said.
The result indicates that although social media receives a lot of the blame, other types of screen entertainment could be equally as harmful to sleep.
App Notifications Contribute to Sleep Disturbance
Even when consumers are not engaging with their devices, social media and other apps’ notifications are capable of causing sleep disturbance through mental distraction. Repeated interruptions caused by these alerts prevent the brain from attaining deep stages of sleep, resulting in agitated nights. Notifications not only interfere with the length of sleep but also impact its quality, making consumers drowsy and disoriented the following day.
How to Minimize Screen Time at Night
To fight the ill effects of screen time at night, professionals suggest following a screen-free routine at least 30-60 minutes prior to sleep. Reading, meditation, or some light stretching can relax the body and get it ready for a good night’s sleep. Even allowing “Do Not Disturb” mode or turning off notifications can avoid any unwanted disturbance while sleeping.
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