Smartphone Bed

While nighttime scrolling may seem like a harmless activity, doing so could be interfering with your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. The body relies on circadian rhythms to know when to initiate sleep versus when to feel awake. The circadian rythm is a 24-hour biological process that mimics the rise and fall of the sun. A specific part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus uses external cues such as light to determine if it is time for sleep. At night, the body normally reacts to the darkness by releasing melatonin, a hormone that signals that it’s time to sleep. However, our brains are very sensitive to light, and the blue light emitted from cell phones and other electronic devices delays melatonin production. Lack of melatonin can make it difficult to fall asleep, which can lead to insomnia and fatigue over time. Studies also suggest that blue light can decrease the amount of time the body spends in slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These two sleep