Why it is better to do without a smartphone before going to bed
1. We fall asleep later and sleep less.
First of all, you can't just stop watching cat memes and TikTok videos. Media and social media are literally "tuned" to make sure we consume as much content as possible and can't stop. Their algorithms are tuned to stimulate the production of dopamine, a hormone that promises us quick pleasure and makes us click on links, post and wait for likes. As a result, "One more video and then sleep" easily and imperceptibly turns into "How is it 3 a.m.?"
Second, gadgets literally rob us of sleep. The glow from the screen interferes with How Electronics Affect Sleep production of melatonin. People who use smartphones, laptops and tablets before going to bed spend more time falling asleep.
It turns out that we get less rest, which means that our quality of life decreases, increasing the risk of developing physical and mental disorders.
2. We become more anxious.
Social networks create a fear of foregone benefits (FOMO), a condition that makes us constantly worry about not getting somewhere, about falling behind in something with friends, acquaintances and just random people.
Those who spend a lot of time on gadgets are prone to Relax, Turn Off Your Phone, and Go to Sleep, wake up in the middle of the night and grab your phone or tablet again. And it's a vicious circle: a person relieves anxiety by scrolling through a social networking feed, but thus depriving themselves of sleep and becoming even more anxious.
And finally, the news, often not very pleasant, which is poured on us from almost every corner of the Internet, can make anyone nervous.
3. we get addicted.
Lingering in the web turns into a kind of necessary ritual, without which you can not fall asleep anymore. If the gadget breaks, if the electricity is cut off or if a person is without the Internet, anxiety and insomnia almost certainly await him.
How to fall asleep without a smartphone
It's good if the gadgets do not give you any problems and you both with and without them sleep like a baby for at least seven hours a day. But if you have trouble sleeping, it's worth trying to at least reduce the screen time. Here's what psychologists recommend for this Relax, Turn Off Your Phone, and Go to Sleep.
1. Give yourself another ritual.
Just lie in bed, turn off the light, cover yourself with a blanket and go to sleep can be difficult. Think about what kind of pleasant and quiet activity you could replace binging on your gadget.
It may be reading, doing crafts, drawing or coloring, listening to music or relaxing sounds, keeping a diary. It is advisable not to use screen backlighting: researchers found that the Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness , that someone who reads a paper book before going to bed falls asleep faster than someone who reads from a tablet or other gadget.
2. Don't leave your phone next to your bed.
Most of us use the alarm clock on our smartphone: the gadget lies on the bedside table or under the pillow - and beckons to be taken. You can protect yourself from this temptation and put the phone to charge in the next room, and use an electronic watch or fitness bracelet as an alarm clock.
3. Teach yourself not to throw yourself at your smartphone.
Some people are so addicted to gadgets that they hardly ever let them out of their hands. And if they do, they grab them again in response to every beep. It doesn't matter if it's an important message from work, a notification of a new like, or spam from some app.
Larry Rossen, a professor of psychology at UCLA State University, suggests that evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness should engage willpower and look at notifications after hours, not immediately, but to pause and gradually increase it. At first it may be just a minute, then five minutes, then 15. This way you can train your awareness and concentration, and thus it will be easier to tear yourself away from the phone before going to bed.
4. limit yourself
Doctors recommend not using devices with a glowing screen an hour before bedtime. If you can't do it yourself, you can install an app that controls the use of your phone or tablet, and set it so that at certain times access to certain functions is blocked.
5. Turn on the color filter.
A yellow filter on your screen will offset some of the harmful effects of gadgets. Unlike the bluish glow, it does not interfere with the production of melatonin. So if you have no way to fall asleep without a device, you can at least help yourself a little. Also, doctors recommend to keep the device more than 35 centimeters away from your eyes.
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