Have you ever found yourself compulsively scrolling on your phone past midnight? Recent investigations reveal how this habit actually impacts us, shining a light on the consequences of late-night smartphone use and sleep quality.
Conducted by researchers from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia, the study questioned 435 adults about their smartphone habits before sleep and their general sleeping patterns. They explored various aspects such as frequency, purpose, and duration of phone use from January to July 2016.
Sadly, their analyses didn’t quite bring positive news to phone lovers. An overwhelming 98% of those surveyed owned smartphones, with nine out of ten participants indulging in pre-sleep screen time.
Although just under half (41.7%) reported ‘poor sleep quality’, the scientists highlighted an approximately ‘two-fold’ increase in risk among individuals using their smartphones for ’16 to 30 minutes’ at bedtime. The danger escalated further to ‘more than three-fold’ for those engaged with their devices ’31 to 45 minutes’ during night-time hours.
At the time, scientists wrote: “Our findings suggest that employees who use their smartphones more at bedtime have more risk of being poor sleepers. More attention should be drawn to the misuse of smartphones and its effect sleep quality, health and productivity of adults.”
It’s important to note that this was a ‘cross-sectional study’, meaning it didn’t definitively establish phone usage as the cause of poor sleep, but rather identified a pattern in results. Despite this, other experts do suggest a causal relationship exists.
Rosey Davidson, a sleep consultant at Just Chill Baby Sleep, who previously told Gloucestershire Live that our bedtime habits can significantly impact our sleep quality.
She said: “Looking at phone content late at night affects our sleep by exposing us to blue light, which suppresses melatonin production, a hormone crucial for sleep.
“To improve sleep and mental health, establish a bedtime routine that limits screen time an hour before sleep.” Furthermore, Rosey advises against using phones first thing in the morning, as this habit can greatly influence your mood for the day.
“When we wake up, our brain transitions from the deeper sleep brain waves (like delta and theta waves) through alpha waves and finally to beta waves,” she continued. “This transition makes us more relaxed and suggestible, which is why consuming phone content immediately upon waking can strongly influence our mood and mindset for the day
“Upon waking, take a few moments to breathe and set intentions before reaching for your phone. If you can charge it on the other side of the bedroom, or outside of the bedroom this puts an extra barrier in place.”