We’ve all been there… you wake up at 3 AM for one reason or another and find yourself back on your phone, scrolling social media for longer than you intended. You wonder… how much time is too much time? You’re not alone. With the recent popularity of Apple’s Screen Time feature, we did a little digging on this hot topic. However, the studies are still a little murky and inconclusive, but here’s what we found.
Last fall, Apple CEO Tom Cook, put out the following statement regarding screen time concerns. “We have never wanted people to overuse our products.” “If you are spending all the time on your phone, you are spending too much time.” We couldn’t agree more with Cook.
Furthermore, Oxford University researchers found that most studies on screen time only studied short-term usage or large pools of individuals, giving very marginalized evidence that tends to be untrustworthy when taking into account the larger population of users.
Other studies have found links between blue light and diabetes, certain types of cancers and obesity. One study in particular found the negative effects of blue light and the quality of sleep. Research shows that blue light from our devices suppresses melatonin, the hormone responsible for inducing sleep in coordination with our circadian rhythm, up to twice as much as green light.
In conclusion, although the research is not quite clear, what we do know is using any kind of blue light (TV, cell phone, computer, smart watch, etc.) before bed effects your sleep significantly in a negative way. Here are 4 tips on how to minimize exposure for better sleep:
