Are you guilty of logging on to your laptop right before you go to sleep? Do you take your smartphone to bed with you and cling to it like a two-year-old with a Teddy Bear? Well then, you should know: It’s preventing you from getting enough sleep. (Not to mention making you look like kind of a fool.)
The annual Sleep in America Poll by the National Sleep Foundation is making headlines today because it found that cell phones and computers are being abused to the point that they are preventing millions of Americans from getting enough sleep, and then functioning poorly the next day.
The study found 95 percent of those polled use some type of communications technology or electronics in the hour before bed, including televisions, computers, video games and cell phones.
Apparently, the exposure to the artificial light from these devices suppresses the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, enhances alertness and shifts circadian rhythms to a later hour. Shifts circadian rhythms?! What?! Basically, it just makes it more difficult to fall asleep.
As Karmic defenders here at DH, we’ve also got to add that it cuts into your “me” time, relationship time, family time and the precious quiet time most of us need to stay balanced.
It's National Sleep Awareness Week, so maybe we can look at this as an opportunity to become a little smarter with our smartphones, log off earlier and catch some zzzzzzz’s. It will be a lot easier to smake good decisions about using vs. abusing our technology if we’re well rested, right?
Here are more tips to Improve Your Digital Karma, and our latest Sleep = Winning blog from Daily Defender Jessica Abel. Please let us know what you think about all this.
Do you use your computer or cell phone right before bed? It it a habit you’ll be able to break?
If you like what you see on dailyhoroscope.com, please consider following us on Facebook and Twitter.
