When it is time to go to bed, do you like to cozy up with your smartphone for a while? Perhaps you enjoy scrolling through social media or chatting with your friends before you drift off to sleep. While this might seem like an innocent habit, it could actually be ruining the quality of your sleep! The consequences can be particularly bad if you have sleep apnea. What is the relationship between sleep quality and smartphones? This blog post provides some need-to-know information.
How Smartphones Affect Sleep Quality and Quantity
Two major ways in which your phone might be affecting your sleep include:
Blue Light Exposure
Smartphone screens emit blue light, which is a major component of natural daylight. When you are exposed to blue light, it makes your brain more alert. It suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy. As a result, you may find it much more difficult to wind down in the evening and fall asleep. Your sleep may also be more fragmented than it should be. This issue can be particularly impactful for individuals with sleep apnea, who are already struggling with poor sleep quality.
Mental Stimulation
The media available on your phone is designed to activate your mind and increase cognitive activity. Instead of allowing your thoughts to wind down, your brain is likely to stay alert, which can make it much more difficult to fall asleep. Furthermore, nighttime notifications can repeatedly arouse you and disrupt your sleep cycle.
Practical Steps for Better Sleep
Whether you have sleep apnea, or you are simply looking to optimize your nightly sleep, there are practical steps you can take to prevent your phone from interfering with your rest:
- Do not keep your smartphone near your bed. Instead, consider storing it in another room.
- Stick to a consistent bedtime. About one hour before you retire, put your phone away.
- Use “Do Not Disturb” or “Sleep Mode.” These features silence notifications so you are less likely to be bothered by your phone.
- Activate your phone’s blue light filter or use blue-light blocking glasses if you choose to use your phone in the evening.
- Find another activity to help you wind down. Instead of scrolling through your phone at night, do something else. For example, you might read a book, do some gentle stretches, or listen to soothing music.
- Switch to a traditional alarm clock if you normally rely on your phone to wake you up each morning.
Smartphones are wonderful tools, but they can hurt your health if you do not manage your usage! Make wise decisions so you can sleep well each night.
Meet the Practice
At SleepMed Solutions in Greensboro, we focus on helping individuals with sleep apnea to get higher-quality rest. We do so through non-invasive treatments, such as CPAP therapy and custom oral appliances. If you would like our advice on how you can start getting the sleep your body needs to thrive, contact us at 336-907-7773.