April 20, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Do not leave a mobile phone turned on near the bed

Do you keep leaving your cell phone on next to your bed at night? But in vain! Doctors explained why you should not do this.

Most if not all of us keep our cell phone on our nightstand as it is the last thing we look at before going to sleep and the first thing we reach for when we wake up. But is this really a good idea, and could such compulsive behavior actually keep us from getting enough sleep? And most importantly, is it really safe to keep your phone around all night? Many of us don’t know that sleeping next to a gadget can seriously interfere with your sleep.

So verywellhealth has put together a simple list of ways you can start getting enough sleep right from tonight:

1. Recognize that it’s not “just a phone”. It’s the miniature computer that many of us can’t live without. A device designed to make phone calls and send messages has now expanded its capabilities: you can surf the web, plan a route, answer emails and interact through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

With so many features that keep us awake – from games to streaming Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney Plus – it’s no surprise that gadgets have a huge potential to interfere with our sleep.

2. Cause insomnia. Many of us fall into this familiar trap of an obsessive urge to constantly refresh pages, check messages, read, reply, view news, post, click, or play games. In addition, it is very difficult for many of us to “break away” from such an interesting pastime, which in itself can delay sleep time and reduce the total rest time that we spend on sleep. All this stimulation (blue screen light affecting the optic nerve), especially at night, can make it difficult to fall asleep and fall asleep naturally. It may sound dramatic, but such compulsive behavior over a long period can easily lead to insomnia.

3. Artificial light from the screen. As mentioned above, artificial blue light from a cell phone, tablet or computer screen affects our ability to fall asleep. Blue light tricks the brain into thinking it’s daytime.causing your body stops secreting the sleep hormone melatonin, which helps us relax before bed.

Artificial light also disrupts our circadian rhythm – sleep and wake patterns throughout the 24-hour day.which helps control your daily sleep and wake schedule.

four. The problem of finding the phone in the bedroom. As a general rule, it’s wise to keep your phone away from the bedroom. Firstly, it will help you to avoid prolonged freezing on the phone when it is really time for you to sleep. “Eject device” to another room will also help you not to check messages, etc. if you wake up at night.

Another thing to keep in mind is that phones are designed to tell you what you should answer – there may be calls, alarms, alerts, or lights that grab your attention – useful when you’re awake, but less so at night.

Any cell phone signal can easily disrupt the quality of your sleep, but also wake you up enough to feel like you need to respond.

5. Can I sleep with my phone next to my head? Some people are concerned about exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by phones. Concerns range from increased risk of brain tumors to impact on fertility.

It is generally accepted that modern cell phones have little effect on the human body, but many people find it wise to be a little careful – either by placing your phone about three meters away from you, or at least putting it into airplane mode.

Phones send a signal to the antennas every few seconds, even if you’re not on a call, so the device still emits a small amount of microwave radiation.

Putting your phone in airplane mode and turning off location settings severely reduces any of these RF emissions, in addition your alarm will go off in the morning anyway.

6. Sleep improvements right from tonight.

It is quite obvious that phones have a great ability to disrupt our ability to sleep. So if you’re struggling with insomnia or feel like you’re not getting enough sleep, then it makes sense to weigh how much your phone can be affecting sleep quality and consider the following changes:

7. Get your phone out of the bedroom

Charge your phone in the kitchen. Thus, you instantly allow yourself to fall asleep without a gadget. This simple hack may be enough to help you get a better and more restful night’s sleep.

8. Set yourself a regular alarm clock

May be it’s time to get an old fashioned alarm clock instead of relying on your phone, that keeps you awake?! If you just need to use your phone as an alarm clock (when traveling, for example), be sure to set it to flight mode or night mode to minimize distractions and put it away.

9. Value your time.

Do your best to Use the last hour or two before bed as a time to relax as much as possible and prepare for sleep. Reading from the printed page (the good old book) is a great way to unwind. It is also useful to listen to music, watch TV or a movie, but try to avoid bright light on your eyes as much as possible, using the “night mode” if necessary.

If you’re in bed and still awake for more than 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy, then get back into bed.



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