Si Muddell: Are gadgets before bed affecting your sleep? (Infographic)

"When I go to bed I use my ipad/phone to:"

- Browse the web / Use social media
- Watch a film or something on Youtube
- Stream music via an online service like Spotify
- Read an ebook
- Play a game (words free / chess.com etc)
- Text / Call

Sound familiar?

I think the above is an accurate account of many of our pre-sleep habits, definitely is for me and apparently is for 95% of the population!

Online Psychology Degree have put together a fantastic infographic called 'Getting in Bed with Gadgets - Your Technology is keeping you awake' and it's about, well, what it says on the tin really! Using technology just before you go to sleep is detrimental to a) getting to sleep and b) actual sleep loss; all of which affects your mental well being, in a bad way.

The science behind this is to do with Melatonin, the chemical in your body that promotes sleep. Research suggests that a "2 hour exposure to light from electronic displays suppresses melatonin by about 22%"

Sleep depravation is killer; literally. Over a pro-longed period of time it can increase your risk of having a heart attack by 50% (if having less than 6 hours per week), increase stress, anxiety, mental capabilities, mood; the list goes on and on.

Solution:

Most days I feel like there isn't enough time in the day to do all the things I set myself, so pre-sleep time seemed (until now) the best way to cram as much into my day before I fell mercy to shut eye.

The good thing is there is a solution; stop using gadgets before going to bed!

Maybe I can (and should) be a bit more conscious of the affects using gadgets pre-sleep can have on my sleep and set myself a 'technology curfew' 1-2 hours before I head to bed. I can always wake up that little bit earlier....