Using Phone at Night: Harmful Effects and Useful Advices

Using phone before sleep does harm to you. Photo: Boldsky

Ninety percent of people in the U.S. admit to using a technological device during the hour before turning in, and children often use electronic media to help them relax at night. However, health experts and studies reveal that what seems like a perfectly innocent habit may be doing your health serious harm.

Although you may think that checking your messages and scrolling through your Instagram account for memes may help you fall asleep faster, using your phone at night in your bed at night only results in negatively affecting your vision and overall eye health.

So before you climb into your bed tonight with your phone, consider these reasons why you should leave your phone in the other room.

1. It affects sleep duration

The blue light emitted by mobile phones affects the production of melatonin. Melatonin is one of the hormones that helps one to sleep and regulates the sleep cycle. Regular use of the mobile phone at night before going to sleep can lead to sleep deprivation as your mind may be overly excited or activated. Apart from that, the compulsive desire to check your phone and scrolling and refreshing can lead to a delay in bedtime and reduce your total sleep time, according to Boldsky.

2. It can damage your eyes

The blue light emitted from your personal electronic devices is part of the full light spectrum. We’re exposed to it by the sun each day, but nighttime exposure to that same light (which is emitted at high levels by smartphones, tablets, laptops and other LED screens) may be damaging your vision.

Studies show that direct exposure to blue light can damage your retinas. The American Macular Degeneration Foundation warns that retinal damage caused by blue light could lead to macular degeneration, a condition that causes the loss of central vision.

While it hasn’t been proven, there may also be a link between blue light exposure and cataracts. More research is needed, but this is another possible risk that can be lessened or avoided by putting your phone away each evening.

3. It will suppress your melatonin secretion when you need it most

The hormone melatonin plays a key role in maintaining a proper circadian rhythm and promoting deep, restorative sleep. It may also play a role in protecting the health of your brain as you age. Even low levels of light, such as a dim bedside lamp, can decrease the production of melatonin (for this reason, you should never sleep with a “nightlight” on and use good blackout curtains). The light emitted from phone screens, shining directly in your eyes, suppresses the production of this crucial hormone in the evening. If you must look at a screen, turn it way down and use any program available (such as “night shift” on an iPhone) that will decrease the component of blue light.

4. You will feel more tired and less alert when you wake up

According to the Harvard study, reading a screen before sleeping will cause you to feel more sleepy and groggy when you wake up in the morning. Those who read from a screen before bed reported taking hours longer to fully “wake up” the next day, compared to those who read a printed book instead.

5. It can increase your risk of cancer

In addition to regulating your sleep cycle, melatonin is a powerful antioxidant essential to your body’s ability to naturally fight against cancer. When your melatonin levels are suppressed, your risk for cancer – and other ailments – increases, as said from Psychologytoday.

If your melatonin is disrupted for one night, it wouldn’t pose a serious threat. However, if you’re a chronic nighttime phone user, you significantly increase your risk of cellular damage, increased inflammation, healthy immune function and disease.

Technological advancements are indeed a boon, but one must be aware of using it for enhancing our lives and not affecting it negatively. Whether you need the full eight hours of rest or are one of those rare people who can wake up rested after four, it is important to keep the phone out of your.