Experiencing disturbed sleep cycle at night? Your smartphone is the problem | Whenever we discuss about the pyramid of health and wellness, on top comes the sleep, then your nutrition and in last exercise. Daily recommended sound sleep shall be around 6-8 hours. A sound sleep helps body in maintaining balance of the hormones. It also supports brain productivity, muscle and overall healthy body growth. Without a sound sleep one may feel lethargic whole day and it may affect your daily routine, that’s why it takes the top place on health & wellness pyramid.
What is bluelight? ….. The light coming from the sun travels through the atmosphere. The shorter, high energy blue wavelengths collide with the air molecules causing blue light to scatter everywhere. This is what makes the sky look blue. So, you can say our environment is surrounded by bluelight. In its natural form, our body uses blue light from the sun to regulate our natural sleep and wake up cycles. This is known as your circadian rhythm. Everybody has a unique circadian rhythm which means their sleep & wake up cycle, energy levels at certain point of day, eating and excretion cycle etc. differ from others.
Artificial sources of blue light include electronic devices such as smart phones, laptop, computers, as well as energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs and LED lights. Disturbing part is more bluelight is emitted from smartphones and tablets compared to other light sources and unfortunately usage of smartphones by Indians are on a higher side. As per report published by Economic times in 2018, an average Indian spends 3 hours daily on their smartphones, that’s enough to pose a risk of disturbed sleep cycle.
How bluelight affects your sleep cycle ? ….Bluelight naturally boosts alertness, heighten reaction times, elevate mood and increase the feeling of well-being. These all factors act as deterrent to a sound sleep. Many researches have already proven that using smart phones in a dark room suppresses the Melatonin hormone (it is responsible for sleep regulation in a human body) leading to a disturbed sleep cycle in long run.
Recommendations for a sound sleep?
- Switch off your smartphones, laptops, tablets an hour before you plan to go to bed.
- Avoid using smartphones in a dark room in case of emergency. Switch on the room’s light and then scroll down your phone or try using bluelight filters on your devices.
- Keep the sleeping room area dark and cool, it supports sound sleep.
- Avoid black coffee (caffeine) consumption at late evenings. Caffeine is a stimulant which raises body’s alertness.
- If you have a habit of taking power naps in daytime, avoid it. It will help you in night’s sleep.
- Indulge yourself in a daily exercise routine and remain active throughout the day.
- Try to go to bed at the same time every day. By doing this you will maintain body’s cycle/clock or say circadian rhythm.
- In case above mentioned pointers doesn’t work you, you can add melatonin supplement (no side effects) in your daily life but it shall be done under the guidance of certified nutrition and fitness expert. It is a supplement and not a sleeping pill.
Hope you have a sound sleep now!
About the Author : Lucky Gaur is an INFS Certified Fitness and Nutrition Consultant and a Diploma holder in Naturopathy & Yogic Science, All India Nature Cure Federation. The views expressed in the article are his personal.
To Contact: nattygaur@gmail.com