There’s nothing worse than chronic sleeplessness. If you’re someone who can’t get to bed at night, who can’t sleep through the night, and who wakes up every morning feeling exhausted, you know how much it can start to wear on you over time.
There are a variety of things that can cause difficulty in sleeping, but there’s one in particular that just about everyone is affected by—cell phones. If you’re interested in getting a better night’s sleep, here’s how reconsidering how much time you spend on your phone could help you to do that.
Blue Light and Melatonin
Typically, when people think about the color of the sun, they think “yellow.” However, the sun emits light from many different parts of the spectrum, including a fair amount of blue light. Your brain is interested in keeping you awake during the day so it takes this blue light as a cue that you shouldn’t go to bed yet. It therefore stymies the flow of melatonin, which is the chemical most responsible for your ability to fall asleep at night.
Cell Phones and Sleep
This is where cell phone use comes in. It may not be immediately apparent, but screens of all kinds also emit a fair amount of blue light. Staring at one just before bed will cause your brain to believe that it’s still daytime, dampening the flow of melatonin as you’re winding down for bed and disrupting your ability to sleep.
Ultimately, the most effective thing you can do is to take a break from screens before bed. It’s best to put away your phone for an hour beforehand, allowing your brain to sync with the proper day-night cycle.
Other Sleep Problems
If you find that your restlessness isn’t helped by making changes to your lifestyle, it may be the case that you have a deeper issue with your sleep. For example, you might have sleep apnea, a condition that impedes your ability to breathe easily while in bed. This forcibly wakes you up over the course of the night, making it hard to feel rested.
It may be a good idea to talk to a sleep doctor or dentist. They’ll be able to tell you more about what kinds of problems you could be having with your sleep and come up with a treatment plan to help you.
About Our Practice
At Star Sleep & Wellness in Plano, we have several sleep specialists on staff to help you address your issues. That means that when you visit our practice, you’ll be able to get one-on-one attention from an expert who will be able to create a custom treatment plan perfectly suited to you. If that’s not enough, we also have strong connections with area physicians and hospitals all around DFW, meaning that we can put a wealth of excellent care at your fingertips.
If you have any questions about sleep apnea, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (214) 750-7776