Using your cell phone before bed will not affect the quality of your sleep

Using your cell phone before bed does not affect sleep as initially thought. This is the conclusion of an analysis of 11 studies carried out around the world that makes it clear that there is no direct link between long periods of exposure to blue light, emitted by the screen of devices, on the quality of sleep.

The results of the studies, published in revista Sleep Medicine Reviews, conclude that there is no significant effect of blue light exposure on possible sleep disturbances. However, it is important to point out that studies indicate that what you consume on the device can be a problem for your sleep. In other words, the fact that you, in some way, “absorbed” the content you watched and it remains in your head.

Don’t read emails or work materials before bed

In addition to being an entertainment tool, cell phones are also fundamental to the work routine of millions of people around the world. Certain content related to day-to-day work, such as checking emails, can contribute to an imbalance in sleep quality, as they can cause anxiety, or a certain fear about things that could happen.

Incessantly browsing social media is also not advisable during pre-sleep periods. The variety of highly visual content that tries to capture the viewer’s attention can impact the quality of sleep.

People who already have some difficulty falling asleep need to pay extra attention when using their cell phones, limiting use at certain times is the most important recommendation.

However, on average, the effects appear minimal. In one of the tests, the effects of 30 minutes of social media use (WhatsApp and Snapchat) were tested in comparison with 30 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation and a control condition, that is, the person going straight to bed. Social media use did not change heart rate or heart rate variability. Regardless, participants in the social media exposure condition only slept 6 minutes less.

“Using technology before bed may increase cognitive or physiological arousal before sleep, but the resulting impact of alertness on sleep is likely to be smaller than initially assumed. Effects on sleep duration and sleep latency appear to be less than 10 minutes – if at allpunctuates the analysis.

The importance of natural light

Although exposure to blue light from device screens does not have a direct relationship with sleep quality, some people may be much more sensitive to it, especially those who have no exposure to natural light during the day.

Nowadays, devices have blue light filtering features in their settings. It is valid to activate during nighttime use, and it is also recommended to reduce the screen brightness.

Playing games or watching series had no impact on sleep

If you like a good game, or watching episodes of your favorite series before bed, know that this did not result in any effect on the group of study participants. Some even went to sleep earlier.