LEAVE TECHNOLOGY OUT OF THE BEDROOM?No doubt you've heard about how technology gadgets have been impacting our sleep, especially the ones like our cell phones that emit a certain blue light that tells our brains to stay awake. Surely the impact of staring at a blue screen before heading to bed affects our bodies physically, but have you ever thought maybe the content of what you are consuming might also affecting your emotional health?
How many of us sat down to our computer or mobile device with the intention of "just scrolling through for a few minutes" and then we look up and it's three hours later?
I know I was guilty of that when I first started hanging out on social media sites. Oh if I could only get back half of those hours I spent scrolling...
It's hard to resist the addictive nature of social media sites because the feeds go on forever and you can spend hours clicking on "click bait" before you realize how much time has gone by! Be aware that these sites are designed to "hook" you and to keep you hooked.
Social media sites main goal is to keep you on their sites scrolling through the feeds for as long as they can because your attention is so valuable to their advertisers which ultimately satisfies the investors.
If you are someone who brings your phone into the bedroom and scroll through your feeds before bed, this might be impacting your health more than you know. It could be that your last minute check of your social sites might create anxiety or other emotions that would keep you from winding down and falling asleep.
A September 2017 study by Primack found that when it comes to social media interaction, the time of day plays a fundamental role in that the half hour before bed spent on social sites was the strongest indicator of a poor night's sleep. "It was completely independent on the total amount of time of use in the day'" says Primack.
Thoughts and feelings come back to haunt us as we try to go to sleep.
There seems to be a merry-go-round of interrelated issues between social media and health issues. Studies show that social media use is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and sleep deprivation as you might believe your life is #notgoodenough when comparing yourself to nearly perfect posts that show air brushed photos of #myperfectlife. And a lack of sleep can possibly make your outlook on life or any mental health condition worse.
Moderation and time of day are key factors when engaging with social media. So for your overall health it is important for you to consider how much and what time of day you engage. There are a lot of resources working to keep us glued to social media sites and it's going to be hard to pull ourselves away.
Be mindful of the impact you are having on your health when you bring your phone to bed with you. Chances are you probably will sleep better if you put your phone away before you head for bed.
Schedule your FREE sleep evaluation call. During this 15 minute call we will discuss your unique sleep issues by gathering more information. Then we will decide together if a full consultation is the right solution for you.
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Catherine and Elizabeth have been helping people detox their homes and choose to live green for over ten years. We say detoxification is a process, not a destination. New chemicals are constantly being introduced to the market and keeping them out of our homes is something we all must be very diligent about.
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