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Scientists have recently discovered a significant connection between sleeping disorders and the use of gadgets that emit blue light. Developed mainly at adolescents, this issue made the subject of a survey that involved 10.000 teenagers, aged from 16 to 19 years old. Western Norway is the place where the experiment took place. The conclusion is simple: the blue light emitted by the screen has adverse effects on how people sleep, or the rapidity of their falling asleep.
Mari Hysing, is a lead author of the study and she works at the Uni Research Health in Bergen, Norway.
“There are probably many possible pathways between screen time and sleep, some of which are direct. The light from the screens may directly affect our circadian rhythms, and teenagers may be especially sensitive.”
The percentage of the girls that use their smartphones or tablets before going to sleep is bigger than that of the boys: 90% in comparison with 80%. However, the numbers are big.
When counting the hours spent in front of a blue light device screen, scientists have recorded 5.5 hours for the ladies, whether it is a cell phone, personal computer, tablet, game console, television or MP3 player. On the other hand, the gentlemen spend about 7 hours in front of their favorite technology. A great amount of this time is generously given to chatting, the most used feature of every app, program and device throughout the world. In addition, boys were found to spend a lot of that time playing games – more than one hour a day.
All these issues lead to a great difficulty in falling asleep: both boys and girls need more than 60 minutes to fall asleep, and the rate has risen to 13-52 percent in the last years.
“Use of electronics is an integral part of teenage life. However, teenagers can be aware of how much time [they] spend on screens, and try to log off at night to ensure a good night’s sleep. Parents could start with being good role models and restrict their media use both during day and nighttime. Helping the teenagers get good media and sleep routines is an important part of parenthood.”
Image Source: Capital Region Medical Center
