Are you getting a great night's sleep or consistently sleep deprived because you're on your smartphone or laptop too late?

I'm definitely guilty of working from a laptop in bed, or checking my phone before I go to sleep, but since I've been consistently getting in the habit of turning off all devices by 7pm each night, my sleep and quality sleep has been improving a ton.

An article published in The Independent shows: “In a study of 10,000 16 to 19-year-olds, researchers in Norway found that the longer a young person spent looking at an electronic screen before going to bed, the worse quality sleep they were likely to have.”

The problem comes from the short bursts of excitement you get when consuming social media. This feeling is the body releasing a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine motivates you to continue to replicate the original behaviour that made you feel pleasure - such as repeatedly clicking on social media posts or sending text messages.

The problem with this is that too often we can find ourselves trapped in a spiral of seeking more gratification.

Laptops, tablets and phones all emit a blue light which illuminates the screen. This blue light suppresses the body’s production of the hormone melatonin.

This hormone is essential in order for us to feel sleepy. Alaska Sleep Clinic believe: “The light emitting from these devices is similar in wavelength to daylight and can trick your circadian rhythm into believing it’s daylight and delay the release of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep”.

A delayed release of melatonin means it will take you longer to fall asleep. 

In this episode I talk about:

• What is dopamine and what it does to you
• Several ways to get a really good night's sleep
• Key apps to use to minimize the effect your screen has on you

Key resources to check out to overcome your fear:

• Download & install the free app ‘flux’ for your computer or laptop.
• Try the ‘twilight’ app for your android phone.
• Is Meditation a fad or a life changer?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.