The scary effects of technology on sleep – Part 1

1. Blue light emitted

You may have heard of the “blue light filter” on your digital devices, a special setting designed to reduce the amount of blue light emitted from your phone. This blue light isn’t actually blue per se; it’s simply the type of light that digital devices with screens tend to produce. Blue light interferes with your body’s production of melatonin – the hormone responsible for making you feel sleepy. This is why exposure to excessive amounts of blue light via devices like smartphones makes it hard to fall asleep or even stay asleep.
 

2. Electromagnetic radiation

Apart from emitting blue light, our technological devices also emit electromagnetic radiation, such as those via Wi-Fi signals. This scientifically proven phenomenon affects our sleep the same way blue light does – by destabilising our body’s melatonin balance and causing us to feel awake at bedtime.

3. Emotional stimulus

The activities we engage in with our digital devices can be keeping us awake by stimulating our brain to stay alert and focused. Playing video games definitely gives that adrenaline rush that keeps your brain way too stimulated for sleep. Even other seemingly innocuous activities can be responsible for keeping your brain in a wakeful state, such as having online conversations or watching a funny video.

4. Noisy notifications

Some of us don’t have the habit of turning off the notifications feature of our phones when we sleep. While some will be able to sleep right through the noise, the bleeps and vibrations can end up being a disturbance and cause you to wake up one too many times.

Technology can interfere with your sleep in a variety of ways even if you don’t realise that your sleep is being disrupted, you will probably experience some of the following effects of not having enough quality sack time.