With how attached we are to our smart phones these days, it’s no surprise that we end up bringing them to bed.
Maybe you’ve heard that using your electronics in bed isn’t a good idea—studies have shown that doing so isn’t conducive to a good night’s sleep.
What’s the culprit? The blue light emitted from your devices! The light from your screens actually tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime, and shuts down the body’s sleep systems. The latest study proves that it takes people who read on iPads before bed 10 minutes longer than those who prefer print books to drift off.
Consider one of these tips to aid your insomnia and help you get enough shut-eye to get to the gym tomorrow:
1. Read at arm’s length – Many electronics are generally set to the highest brightness setting upon first use, so a lot of us don’t think to change those settings. But if switch to the lowest setting and hold the device as far away from your face as possible, you’ll see a major difference. This will drastically reduce the amount of light that reaches your eye.
2. Try a Kindle instead – You may be reluctant to stray away from your Apple obsession, but it could help you get more snooze time. Most tablets and e-readers give off the same amount of light—except the Kindle e-reader. It only reflects ambient light, which isn’t as harmful to sleep as the emitted light from the other devices. It’s only $60 on Amazon!
3. Lose the blue light – To help you get the rest your body deserves after a long day, apps like f.lux (free; justgetflux.com) and Twilight (free; play.google.com) can begin dimming your electronics’ screens automatically at sunset to reduce the amount of blue light you see at night. Or you could try a light-blocking screen protector. like SleepShield.
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