Many of you have the annoying habit of spending time on your phone before you sleep. To scroll through his Instagram feed, play his favorite game, or reply to a late text message, all the reasons are good for staying hooked on your digital best friend. Nevertheless, it is important for you to know that the more time you spend there, the more serious it is to your health. Zoom on some risks you incur.
The California Department of Public Health has issued guidelines to educate people about the importance of reducing their exposure to mobile phone radio frequencies. The health risks can be dramatic: brain tumors, decreased sperm count, adverse effects on learning, memory and sleep.
It is mainly the blue light emitted by the smartphone that causes as much damage. As part of the full spectrum of light, we are exposed to it daily by the sun. Nevertheless, the nocturnal exposure to this light emitted at high levels by telephones, computers and other digital devices, can not only damage vision, but also disrupts the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
3 reasons why you should stop using your phone before sleeping
The phone can cause eye damage
A study led by a research team at the University of Toledo discovered the dramatic risks that blue light caused to the health of the eyes. Indeed, it can damage the retina and lead to macular degeneration, a disease that could, among other things, cause a loss of central vision.
In a statement to UT News, Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the Department of Toledo University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said: "The toxicity generated by blue light on the retina is universal. It can kill any type of cell. "
The phone disturbs your sleep
The blue light emitted by telephones disrupts the production of melatonin, the central hormone that regulates chronological biological rhythms and is synthesized mainly at night. However, if your sleep cycle is not regulated, you will not be able to get the number of hours of sleep needed for optimum recovery.
Also, a lack of sleep can cause you many health problems, including:
- Memory loss problems
- Slower reaction time
- Heart disorders and other cardiovascular diseases
- Depression
- Weight gain
- Wrinkles and skin problems
- The phone increases your risk of getting cancer
A significant exposure to blue light before sleep disturbs your sleep pattern, Melatonin is an antioxidant that allows the body to fight naturally against cancer which increases your risk of contracting the disease. Moreover, as our colleagues at Le Figaro report, studies have shown that the excessive use of mobile phones greatly increases the risk of suffering from brain cancer.
What to do before going to bed?
We advise you not to expose yourself to any type of screen at least 1 hour before going to sleep. For a good night's sleep, we recommend that you adopt the following habits:
- Keep all electronic devices out of your room
- Use blackout blinds to prevent outside light from entering your room
- Lower the temperature of your room
- Stop reading 10 minutes before going to bed
- Try to sleep every night at the same time
- Drink an infusion of plants such as lavender, chamomile or basil
- Warm up your feet for a better quality of sleep
- Do not practice any sports activity 3 hours before sleeping
- Do some meditation.
