If you have trouble getting to sleep at night, the problem may be what you’re doing before bed. The National Sleep Foundation found in a poll that 95% of Americans use some kind of technology an hour before they go to sleep. The organization said that Americans are turning on their televisions, mobile phones, computers, or video game devices before bed “at least a few nights a week.”

So what’s the problem? Using technology before bed can negatively affect a person’s ability to fall asleep and get the amount of sleep they need.

Dr. Charles Czeisler, a professor at Harvard Medical School, said, “Artificial light exposure between dusk and the time we go to bed at night suppresses release of the sleep promoting hormone melatonin, enhances alertness, and shifts circadian rhythms to a later hour – making it more difficult to fall asleep. This study reveals that light-emitting screens are in heavy use within the pivotal hour before sleep.”

Lauren Hale, an assistant professor at Stony Brook University Medical Center, also points out that the “higher use of these potentially more sleep-disruptive technologies among younger generations may have serious consequences for physical health, cognitive development, and other measures of well being.” What’s shes referring to is a study that showed light at night can cause high blood pressure and diabetes, and may even increase cancer risks.

So, keep that in mind the next time you stay up late watching TV or surfing the Internet!

Tags: sleeping, technology, mobile phones, laptop computers
Categories: High Tech Toys | Stuff