You could SMS yourself to insomnia

From iol.co.za/lifestyle

Many people claim they couldn’t live without their phone, but this addiction could be doing them more harm than good, experts warn.

New research suggests that excessive texting can cause a whole host of sleep problems.

US researchers found that people who send the most texts experience the most sleep problems.

They believe this could be because these people feel pressurised to respond to messages immediately regardless of the time, and that some people sleep with their phone next to their bed meaning they are woken up by incoming texts during the night.

Dr Karla Murdock at Washington Lee University found that first-year students who text a lot sleep less well, regardless of their level of stress.

She asked students to answer questions that assessed their emotional well-being and sleep problems. She also asked them to estimate how many text messages they sent and received on an average day.

Researchers James Roberts and Meredith David identified eight types of phone snubbing behaviour that have become common in today's world

To assess the students’ sleep quality, Murdock used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. This is a widely used instrument that measures multiple aspects of sleep quality such as sleep duration, the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, the amount of time actually spent sleeping while in bed, night-time disturbances, and daytime sleepiness.

The key finding was that a higher number of daily texts was associated with more sleep problems.

Murdock notes that this finding reinforces previous evidence pointing to a direct association between cellphone use and poor sleep in adolescents and young adults.

The study also found that frequent text messaging is associated with more friendship-related stress.

Murdock wrote: “These findings provide an initial indication that heavy text messaging could be problematic during times of stress.

“Although speculative, it could be argued that text messaging is a uniquely unsuitable mode of communication for coping with interpersonal stress in close relationships.”

For instance, Murdock suggested the abbreviated language that is common in texting lacks the ability to provide the kind of nuance that is important in discussing sensitive issues.

In addition, texting fails to offer critical non-verbal cues that would be part of a face-to-face conversation.

“Text messaging may carry a high risk of producing or maintaining misunderstandings and/or unproductive interactions during periods of stress,” she wrote.

“When interpersonal stress involves conflict, the conditions required for productive communication may be particularly difficult to achieve through texting.”

https://iol.co.za/lifestyle/family/2013-10-03-you-could-sms-yourself-to-insomnia/ 

"I shut off my phone at 9 p.m. every night for a week—here’s what happened"

From wellandgood.com

By Katie Maguire

One writer started turned off all technology at 9pm to cure her insomnia—and she said she's never slept more soundly. Here's how she did it 

Just about everyone’s fallen victim to a late-night scrolling spiral—you know, when you decide to peek at Instagram before bed, and suddenly it’s after midnight and you’re 32 weeks into your neighbour’s boyfriend’s sister’s feed. (Um, nice wedding dress, Sarah.)

Yet science has proven that after-dark screen-time is seriously bad for shut-eye. “The blue light emitted from all forms of technology is a ‘violation’ of healthy sleep chemistry,” explains James Rouse, a naturopathic doctor, sleep expert, and co-founder of plant-based protein brand Healthy Skoop. “It interrupts the rise and flow of melatonin, strains your eyes, and disrupts your circadian cycles, leaving you with an unhealthy night of sleeping.”

“[Technology] interrupts the rise and flow of melatonin, strains your eyes, and disrupts your circadian cycles, leaving you with an unhealthy night of sleeping.”

 

When you’re feeling bleary-eyed in the morning, he says, your performance and productivity tend to take a dive—but that’s not the worst of it. Losing sleep on the regular can eventually result in metabolic slow-down, a weakened immune system, an uptick in stress hormones, and even depression and anxiety. 

As someone who often tosses and turns until the early a.m. hours (my usual bedtime is usually after midnight), this intel made me wonder whether my technology habits could be sabotaging my sound-sleep efforts—and my health in general. To find out, I challenged myself to turn my electronics off at 9 p.m. for one week. That’s right, no more Snapchat, Instagram, Netflix, or email in bed. Basically, a return to the, er, dark ages.

                                                                                                               Photo: Stocksy/Danil Nevsky

Here’s what happened to my sleep when I spent a week going offline at 9 p.m.

Weeknights are all right

For the best night of sleep possible, Rouse recommends that we treat bedtime like we did as children: shutting down devices at least an hour or two before bed, taking a bath or shower to relax, and winding down with a book. (That’s Arianna Huffington’s routine, so you know there’s something to it.)

I decide to ease into things by starting on a Sunday—it’s my day to clean my room, meal prep for the week, and practice some self-care, so putting down the phone doesn’t sound like too much of a struggle. At 9 p.m. I plug my phone into a charger (one that’s intentionally on the other side of my room), set my alarm, climb into bed with a book…and by 9:30 p.m. I’m asleep. Score!

The next few days are just as successful. Every night at 9 p.m. I power down (my laptop wasn’t even allowed into my bedroom). Although I wouldn’t describe myself as an insomniac, I admittedly stay up later than I’d like and never get up feeling fully refreshed. But now I’m effortlessly dozing off before 11—and in the process managed to finish a book (which is something I always claim I’m “much too busy” to do).

On Thursday, I get drinks with my friends after work and missed my curfew by 20 minutes. During my trip home, I let myself listen to music, answer a few texts, and glance at the subway schedule on my phone. But the moment I walk through the door, I follow my nightly ritual…and pass out within 30 minutes.

A weekend to remember?

Five days down, two to go—and I’ve now reached what, in my opinion, is the hardest part of the challenge: the weekend.

So on Friday night, I opt out of a wild night, instead keeping things low-key with dinner and drinks at a friend’s apartment. Although I get home around midnight, I put my phone out of sight starting at 9 p.m.

This means no texts, no Instagram Stories documenting my meal, and no checking Twitter during lulls in the night. But it also means I can focus on good conversation. Another thing I notice: how often everyone else looks down at their devices. I’m not judging them at all; I was right there with them five days earlier. But it really makes me realize how phones have become a crutch—and how much richer life is when being connected isn’t a constant. (My motto throughout the evening: Hang up before you hang out.)

As for my screen-free Saturday night? I guess you could say I failed. There’s karaoke—and my phone is definitely involved. Ultimately, I miss my power-down time by five hours.

But despite this misstep, I can confidently say that putting my phone to bed at 9 p.m. for most of the week profoundly changed how I slept. I dozed off earlier, stayed asleep for longer, and found it way easier to wake up in the morning. In fact, I think weekday digital curfews should be a thing—who’s in?

If you can’t commit to a full week, try the ultimate single-day digital detox—bathtub required. And if being cut off from current events stresses you out, here’s how to do a full technology reset while still staying informed. 

https://www.wellandgood.com/health/digital-phone-curfew-sleep-benefits

Cell phones are a major cause of insomnia... How do you get rid of addiction to them?

From arabiaweather.com 

Many of us spend a long time on our phones or tablets during sleep hours, and experts believe that we should avoid using these devices during that period, as their excessive use during the night raises concerns among health professionals.

Melissa Milanak, a professor specializing in sleep health at the Medical University of South Carolina, points out that “the brain needs to rest before sleep to ensure that the body gets deep sleep that helps improve the performance of its functions.”

Milanak explains with a simple example:

"You can't just take a dish out of the oven and put it straight in the fridge. It needs some time to cool down and calm down, and our brains need that calmness and relaxation too."

 Changing sleep habits can be difficult, but insufficient sleep has long been linked to anxiety, obesity and other health problems, and research shows that using smartphones while sleeping can negatively affect the biological clock that regulates sleep and other hormones.

 

 

Harmful effects of using a mobile phone before sleeping

Referring to studies indicating that cell phone light is similar in its effect to sunlight, the brain processes this electrical light, which inhibits the secretion of melatonin, thus delaying deep sleep. Even slight exposure to light in bed can affect sleep.

Of course, scrolling through the news, checking email, or watching videos on social media can also affect your sleep, and this is what can be described as “technostress,” where social media algorithms motivate users to stay up for longer periods.

Lisa Strauss, an expert in treating sleep disorders, points out that people who suffer from insomnia are often middle-aged, and she says:

“People fall into the trap of videos...more and more people are becoming addicted to them.” 

Attention should not only be limited to reducing the use of the mobile phone in bed, but also its use during the night hours in general should be considered. Experts advise changing the daily routine and looking for equivalent alternative behaviours such as reading, taking a warm shower before bed, or listening to... podcast, or even preparing for the next day such as preparing meals for the kids in the morning, or spending quality time with the family.

How do we get rid of cellular addiction in the evening?

Change your routine and train yourself not to rely on electronic devices during bedtime. This is what sleep experts advise. In this context, Milanak suggests making a list of the things you prefer to do and those you prefer to avoid. You can write them down in a notebook to maintain your focus on quiet activities before bedtime. Sleep without attracting electronic devices to the bed.

Strauss points out the importance of using another room to practice these activities, which helps change your routine to make the bed a place for sleeping only.

You can also reduce temptation by not placing your cell phone or electronic devices in another room, which enables you to take control of your environment and strengthen your willpower to avoid using your phone, especially when you are tired and just need to sleep.

You can also reduce annoying notifications during the night, set your phone to night mode at a specific time, reduce the screen brightness and move the phone away from your face to reduce light.

https://www.arabiaweather.com/en/content/cell-phones-are-a-major-cause-of-insomnia-how-do-you-get-rid-of-addiction-to-them

Screen time contributes to sleep deprivation in tweens, teens. Rest is critical to mental health

From kansasreflector.com

By Maida Lynn Chen

With the start of a new school year comes the inevitable battle to get kids back into a healthy bedtime routine. In many cases, this likely means resetting boundaries on screen use, especially late in the evenings. But imposing and enforcing those rules can be easier said than done.

A growing body of research is finding strong links between sleep, mental health and screen time in teens and tweens — the term for pre-adolescent children around the ages of 10 to 12. Amid an unprecedented mental health crisis in which some 42% of adolescents in the U.S. are suffering from mental health issues, teens are also getting too little sleep.

And it is a vicious cycle: Both a lack of sleep and the heightened activity involved in the consumption of social media and video games before bedtime can exacerbate or even trigger anxiety and depression that warrant intervention.

I am the lead physician of the sleep centre at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where I study various paediatric sleep disorders. Our team of physicians and providers routinely observe first-hand the negative effects of excessive screen time, and particularly social media, both of which affect not only sleep, but also the physical and mental health of our patients.

Relationship between mental health and poor sleep

Research has long shown a clear relationship between mental health and sleep: Poor sleep can lead to poor mental health and vice versa. People with depression and anxiety commonly have insomnia, a condition in which people have trouble falling or staying asleep, or both, or getting refreshing sleep. That ongoing sleep deprivation further worsens the very depression and anxiety that caused the insomnia in the first place.

What’s more, insomnia and poor-quality sleep may also blunt the benefits of therapy and medication. At its worst, chronic sleep deprivation increases the risk of suicide. One study found that just one hour less sleep during the week was associated with “significantly greater odds of feeling hopeless, seriously considering suicide, suicide attempts and substance use.”

And what do young people do when lying in bed awake, frustrated and unable to sleep? You guessed it — far too often, they get on their smart devices.

Studies across the world in over 120,000 youth ages 6 to 18 who engage in any sort of social media have repeatedly shown worsened quality and decreased quantity of sleep. This is happening across the globe, not just in the U.S.

 

The strong pull of screens and social media

              When teens can’t sleep, they often scroll online well into the night, which only exacerbates the problem.                                                                              (ljubaphoto/E+ via Getty Images)

Although social media has some benefits, I believe research makes it clear that there are significantly more downsides to social media consumption than upsides.

For one, scrolling social media requires being awake, and hence, displaces sleep.

Second, the light emitted from most hand-held devices, even with a night filter, a blue light filter or both, is enough to decrease levels of melatonin, the primary hormone that signals the onset of sleep.

When melatonin release is inhibited by staring at a lit device near bedtime, falling asleep becomes more challenging. For some people, melatonin supplements can help with inducing sleep. However, supplements cannot overcome the highly stimulating powers of internet content and light.

Third, and perhaps most problematic, is the content that young people are consuming. Taking in fast-paced imagery like that found on TikTok or video games before bedtime is disruptive because the brain and body are highly stimulated by these exposures, and require time to settle back into a state that is conducive to sleep.

But it’s not just the speed of the imagery flitting by. Media content can disrupt both nondream and dream sleep. Have you ever fallen asleep watching a disturbing thriller or a horror movie and had scenes from that movie enter your dreams? And it’s not just dreams that are affected – the brain also may not sustain deep nondream sleep since it is still processing those fast-paced images. These intrusions in your sleep can be very disruptive to overall quality and quantity of sleep.

Worst of all, social media can contribute to FOMO – short for the fear of missing out. This can occur when a teen becomes enmeshed with an influencer or role model through posts, reels and stories, all of which are cultivated to reflect unrealistic perfection, not reality.

In addition, research has found a clear link between social media consumption and poor body image in kids and teens, as well as overall worse mental health and worsened sleep problems.

These issues are troubling enough that in May 2023, the surgeon general issued a statement warning of the dangers of social media and encouraging caregivers, teachers and policymakers to work together to create a safer online environment.

 

A state of chronic sleep deprivation

Making sleep a high priority is a cornerstone of overall health and mental health, and it is also key to staying alert and attentive during the school day.

Multiple professional medical and scientific organisations have recommended that teens sleep eight to 10 hours per night. But only 1 in 5 high schoolers come close to that.

Some of this is due to school start times that don’t align with the natural rhythms of most teens, so they don’t fall asleep early enough on weekdays.

Teens who don’t get enough sleep may suffer from weak academic performance, a lack of organizational skills and mediocre decision-making. Teens don’t have fully formed frontal lobes, the part of the brain that controls impulse and judgment. Sleep deprivation further impairs those behaviours. This, in turn, may lead to poor decisions regarding drug and alcohol use, driving under the influence, sexual promiscuity, fighting or the use of weapons, and more. And these behaviours can start in middle school, if not earlier.

In addition, sleep deprivation is directly linked with high blood pressure, heart attacks and the development of diabetes in adulthood. Lack of adequate sleep is also linked with childhood and adolescent obesity. Undesired weight gain occurs with sleep deprivation though a series of complex mechanisms, including shifts in metabolism, a more sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices.

 

A way forward

So what can be done to pry teens and tweens away from their screens? Keeping goals realistic is key, and sometimes it is helpful to start by focusing on just one goal.

Parents need to prioritize sleep for the entire household and model good screen time habits. Caregivers too often send mixed messages around screen time use, given their own bad habits.

Ultimately, parents and caregivers need to recognize the warning signs of sleep deprivation and progressive mood and anxiety disorders. Seek professional help for disordered sleep, troubled mental health or both, keeping in mind that finding mental health professionals can take time.

When it comes to digital media, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends avoiding screens for at least an hour before going to bed and not sleeping with devices in the bedroom.

For older kids who have homework to do online, avoiding screen use right before bedtime can feel next to impossible. What’s more, this rule tends to lead to covert use of electronic devices. 

So if one hour before bedtime is too stringent, then start by avoiding media for even 15 or 30 minutes prior to going to sleep. Or if some media is needed as a compromise, try watching something passive, like TV, rather than engaging in social media apps like Snapchat.

Remember that not everything has to be done all at once – incremental changes can make a big difference over time.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/26/screen-time-contributes-to-sleep-deprivation-in-tweens-teens-rest-is-critical-to-mental-health/ 

Bad cell phone habits at night can destroy sleep quality

From wnypapers.com

Most people check their phones at the last second before going to sleep, and put their phones near the bed. This is a serious problem and can cause insomnia. The reason is that cell phones can be harmful to people’s sleep during the night. Constant notifications could cause poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and decreased efficiency in the morning.

According to a research project at a college of Saudi Arabia, 88.7% of the subjects use their smartphones after the lights have been turned off and placed their cell phones near the pillow. Without a blue light filter in mobile (night mode), subjects who put the cell phone near their pillows while sleeping have a serious sleep quality problem.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, the impact of cell phone use overnight is at risk of affecting college students’ studies in the U.S.

Cynthia Liang, who is a sophomore art major, explains, “I get used to scrolling on my phone before I sleep. I feel extremely tired and it is difficult to wake up every morning; so, using my cell phone before sleeping is definitely impacting my sleep quality.”

Liang admits that using a cell phone before sleeping and putting her phone near the bed has become her habit. The reason is she might have worse sleep quality if she did not listen to music on her phone while sleeping. However, she also mentions she did not know about the risk of putting cell phones near the bed until being interviewed.

The data collected by the research project in Saudi Arabia has also mentioned 58.8% of students who use smartphones after the lights have been turned off have a habit of scrolling on their phones for at least 30 minutes without switching to the night mode. These students experience daytime sleepiness and sleep disturbances.

This study presents the majority of subjects have cell phone addiction and have a constant routine of using their phones before closing their eyes.

Haelyn Renn, who is a graduate student from Niagara College, Canada, states, “I usually place my phone near my pillow because I feel a lack of security if I cannot reach my phone whenever I wake up; but it is good to know that this is a serious problem if I keep doing that. I think I know the reason for having a big headache and muscle pain every morning.”

An essay on SCL Health Centre website points out the blue light from smartphone screens restrains the production of melatonin. The hormone melatonin is the one that impacts the sleep-wake cycle, which is called circadian rhythm. This leads to the reason smartphones are able to mess up people’s routines. What’s more, this resource demonstrates the blue light emitted by cell phones’ screens are harmful to people’s retinas causing a loss of sight.

Toni Mok, who just started her first job after graduating from a college in the U.S., states, “I always turn my phone off during the night and never check my phone before sleeping, because I know there is something in cell phones that causes health problems.”

Rather than talking about the health problem relating to cell phone use, Mok shares her perspectives. She tends to turn on the light and check her phone when she suffers from insomnia during the night. Keeping eyes on a screen for a long time tires her and makes her fall asleep faster.

Checking the phone while suffering from insomnia only leads to further insomnia. Long-time-screen watching, especially during the night without turning on lights, turns a small health impact into a major health risk. Keeping eyes on screens of cell phones contributes to insomnia, which influences people’s work or study lives.

Renn is surprised because she never reads any news about the fact cell phones affect people’s health. Renn wonders if turning off the phone still impacts people’s brains overnight near the pillows. She hopes to see colleges warn students about the impact of night-time cell phone use, because people who lack knowledge of this could destroy their health and lives.

Renn also emphasizes, “Students have to understand that using their phones during the night incorrectly and placing their phones near the pillow causes a lot of problems. They should not keep their sleeping problems as secret until knowing themselves have a serious disease.”

Mok adds, “It is not enough to warn students to regulate their habits by themselves. Their colleges are responsible to engage students by supporting them with some good activities.”

Given that many students still lack awareness, there is a need for more colleges to notice it. By increasing awareness of the dangers of bad habits at night, colleges should offer more lectures or conferences relating to the impact of incorrect night-time cell phone habits. This will be a way to avoid unnecessary stress for students.

Liang suggests, “My college’s counsellor sends a lot of emails and sometimes asks us to fill out some questionnaires to know about our school lives and mental health. I would say this might be the right way to start, because some students are scared of talking about how they are suffering from insomnia.”

It is possible to reduce the impact of the cell phone while sleeping. Starting with placing the phone in the kitchen and going to the bedroom without a cell phone is a way to help sleep quality.

It is inadvisable for people check to their phones to force themselves to go back to sleep, when insomnia bothers them during the night.

For a good sleep quality, attempt to have at least one hour before bedtime as a period to relax and prepare for sleep. Instead of scrolling on the phone and replying to messages, spending time on reading, listening to music or drawing can relax people’s brains when insomnia wakes them up.

Reaching out to a board-certified sleep specialist helps, if insomnia is serious and sleep quality is decreasing day by day. Students should reach out to their school counsellors and health service departments to prevent habits from turning into mental disease.

https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/featured/2021/05/01/146432/bad-cell-phone-habits-at-night-can-destroy-sleep-quality