Author: John Ortega
“We need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to be full rested. But many people do not get that amount because they spend so much time on their hand-held devices right before they go to bed."
If you want to improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep, turn off your cell phone, tablet, or other video screens in your home an hour or more before you go to bed.
That is the advice of Mark Meade, a registered polysomnographic technician with the Sleep and Alertness Center at McLaren Greater Lansing.
“Depending on the individual, we need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to be fully rested,” Meade said. “But many people do not get that amount because they spend so much time on their hand-held devices right before they go to bed.”
The body typically produces more melatonin when it gets dark to help us prepare for sleep. This process is disrupted when viewing images on a hand-held or desktop device because the light from the screen, which includes blue wavelengths, reduces the production of melatonin. So instead of preparing for sleep, the body receives signals to stay awake.
People who find it difficult to put down their phone or tablet often stay up much later than planned, leading to an inadequate amount of sleep. Others might hit the hay at a pre-determined hour but have trouble falling asleep quickly because their melatonin levels are low due to the amount of time they previously spent on their hand-held device. Some even check social media during the middle of the night, not realizing light emitted from a screen can make it hard to go back to sleep.
“We’re curious and we want to be entertained,” Meade said. “Having a cell phone in your hand is like having the world in your hand. It has an endless amount of entertainment that keeps us from being bored.”
A fear of missing out, often referred to as FOMO, can contribute to a person’s use of social media right before bed. Devices that are hand-held give us numerous opportunities to interact with people and can lead to a constant desire to stay connected to what others are doing and saying. That can cut into a person’s sleep and be harmful to one’s health.
Our brains transition through four stages of sleep during a typical night and each of them play a part in having us wake up well rested and refreshed in the morning. The rapid eye movement, or REM, stage is when our brain undergoes cognitive repair, which Meade likens to what occurs with your computer when you defrag it.
“Your brain is very busy during the REM stage,” he said. “But your body should be relaxed. Mother Nature has designed things so your body is at rest while your mind is very active.”
If you do make the decision to turn off the screens in your home an hour before bed, Meade suggests you have a plan about how you’re going to spend that time. This could involve reading a book, engaging in yoga, stretching, or some other form of mental relaxation.
“Have a goal,” he said. “When you set a schedule and get into a regular routine before going to bed, you give yourself the best chance to get a good night’s sleep.”
Please click here for tips for practicing good sleep hygiene.
You can click here if you would like to learn more about the Sleep and Alertness Center at McLaren Greater Lansing and how its staff can help diagnose and treat disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome.