Screen Use during Bedtime May Raise Your Risk of Insomnia by 59% — Study
Love to scroll your phone while in bed? Scientists have found that using a screen in bed can drive your risk of insomnia by 59 per
cent
- NEW DELHI — Love to scroll your phone while in bed? Scientists have
found that using a screen in bed can drive your risk of insomnia by 59 per
cent.
-
- While sleep is critical to mental and physical health, an
increasing number of people are accustomed to using screens in bed. The study
by researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Norway showed
it may be associated with poor sleep.
-
- While social media is seen to be more associated with poorer
sleep because of its interactive nature and potential for emotional
stimulation, a survey of 45,202 young adults, aged between 18-28 years old, in
Norway showed that the type of screen activity did not matter.
-
- "We found no significant differences between social
media and other screen activities, suggesting that screen use itself is the key
factor in sleep disruption -- likely due to time displacement, where screen use
delays sleep by taking up time that would otherwise be spent resting,"
said lead author Dr. Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland, from the Institute.
-
- The study showed that screen use in bed can reduce sleep
time by 24 minutes.
-
- Notably, sleep problems were found to be highly prevalent
among students.
-
- This may "have significant implications for mental
health, academic performance, and overall well-being", said Hjetland.
-
- The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry,
screens reduce sleep time because they displace rest, not because they increase
wakefulness: different activities would be expected to affect wakefulness
differently.
-
- "If you struggle with sleep and suspect that screen
time may be a factor, try to reduce screen use in bed, ideally stopping at
least 30-60 minutes before sleep," Hjetland said.
-
- "If you do use screens, consider disabling
notifications to minimise disruptions during the night," Hjetland added,
while calling for further studies to understand the relationship between screen
use and sleep globally.
-
- A recent study by researchers from Pennsylvania State
University in the US showed that young adults who do not get the right amount
of sleep may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure or hypertension --
a common risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
