Experiment Question

What is a better choice? Should you use your device till you do not fall asleep or cut short your screen time by keeping your device away, 1 hour before sleep?

Experiment Answer

After following through with a couple of literature reviews as well as self-conducted exercises, the majority of experts came up with the answer that keeping away from your device 1 hour before bedtime increases sleep quality.

Scientific Rationale

Adequate sleep is a crucial key to a healthy and productive life. Our energy depletes severely with a disturbed sleep at night, affecting our metabolic fitness as well. Why does the use of devices keep you up late at night?

Electronic devices emit blue light of a short wavelength. This slows down the production of melatonin, which in turn decreases sleepiness. Blue light also has the ability to induce changes in the rapid-eye-movement,  the stage of the sleep cycle that is essential for cognitive function. 

Discussion

On one arm good quality sleep maintains physical and mental health while on the other, a disturbed night’s sleep can lead to an unproductive day. Previous studies have reflected on how adequate sleep has increased attention span, influent academic performances, emotional status, problem-solving skills, etc.

When there is a lack of sleep hygiene, candidates have exhibited a lack of motivation and good, cautious behaviors towards themselves. The usage of the internet, assignment work, and leisure activities on electronic devices keep them awake well after midnight, thus drastically affecting their sleep cycle.

Results in previous studies have proved that sleeping with a clear head, without distraction uplifts your sleep cycle. It also holds a positive output on your athletic performance and athletic endurance.

A study by NCBI clearly shows the importance of not using the device when going to sleep. It aims to draw the association between the usage of devices before bedtime and sleep quality in people from Vietnam. The sample size chosen for the experiment was 369.

The result deduced from the experiment clearly stated that almost half, 48.8% of them were having sleep difficulty. Amongst them, the majority of them went to bed after midnight. The participants claimed to be having difficulty falling asleep within 30 minutes, along with the fact that they woke up consecutive times throughout the night. Out of the lot, only 43.6% gave the verdict of having a good nap of 7 hours or more, something that has been recommended by the National Sleep Foundation for young adults. 98.1% of the participants confessed that they used at least one type of electronic device before going to sleep. Most of them used the device more than 1 hour before bedtime. 

Bottomline

The end note would be to improve your sleep quality and enhance your metabolic health. The main things you can do to ensure that are Keeping devices at a distance of more than five meters, and to stop using devices atleast 1-2 hours before bedtime.

FAQs

1. How many hours before bedtime should you stop using your electronic device?

You should reduce your screen time and keep away from your device at least an 1 hour before bedtime. This induces better sleep quality and a productive day ahead.

2. Does the use of electronic devices impose ill effects on your health?

A disturbed sleep cycle can cause physical and mental troubles. It is recommended by experts to stop using your device at least one hour before you go to sleep.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839336/

https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/play-learning/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/screen-time-sleep

https://www.terrycralle.com/how-long-before-bed-should-i-turn-off-electronics/

https://www.sleep.org/how-sleep-works/ways-technology-affects-sleep/