If you are one of the people who regularly use laptops/pc or mobile phones just before going to bed and then find it difficult to fall asleep after that then your laptop or mobile screen could be a reason for that. There have been studies conduct across the world to analysis the effect of light emitted from electronic device screen on sleeping pattern and these have provided surprising outcomes.
In 2012, the Lighting Research Center (LRC),Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY published a study showing that 2-hour exposure to light from self-luminous devices can suppress melatonin by about 23%. Stimulating the human circadian system to this level may delay sleep in those using the devices prior to bedtime.
LRC conducted a follow-up study published in 2015, showing that adolescents are more sensitive than adults to light from self-luminous devices. Results from the 2015 study show that 1-hour exposure to light from self-luminous devices suppressed melatonin by approximately 23% and 2-hour exposure suppressed melatonin by approximately 38% in adolescents.
In 2012, the Lighting Research Center (LRC),Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY published a study showing that 2-hour exposure to light from self-luminous devices can suppress melatonin by about 23%. Stimulating the human circadian system to this level may delay sleep in those using the devices prior to bedtime.
LRC conducted a follow-up study published in 2015, showing that adolescents are more sensitive than adults to light from self-luminous devices. Results from the 2015 study show that 1-hour exposure to light from self-luminous devices suppressed melatonin by approximately 23% and 2-hour exposure suppressed melatonin by approximately 38% in adolescents.
Melatonin is a natural hormone made by your body's pineal (pih-knee-uhl) gland. This is a pea-sized gland located just above the middle of the brain. During the day the pineal is inactive. When the sun goes down and darkness occurs, the pineal is "turned on" by the SCN and begins to actively produce melatonin, which is released into the blood. Usually, this occurs around 9 pm. As a result, melatonin levels in the blood rise sharply and you begin to feel less alert. Sleep becomes more inviting. Melatonin levels in the blood stay elevated for about 12 hours - all through the night - before the light of a new day when they fall back to low daytime levels by about 9 am. Daytime levels of melatonin are barely detectable.
Another study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) provided the similar results.
“We found the body’s natural circadian rhythms were interrupted by the short-wavelength enriched light, otherwise known as blue light, from these electronic devices,” said Anne-Marie Chang, PhD, corresponding author, and associate neuroscientist in BWH’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders. “Participants reading an LE-eBook took longer to fall asleep and had reduced evening sleepiness, reduced melatonin secretion, later timing of their circadian clock and reduced next-morning alertness than when reading a printed book.”
So it is better to avoid using the laptop and mobile screens 1 or 2 hours before going to bed. But there are some scenarios or circumstances when we have to use these devices and their use before sleep cannot be avoided. In that case there are some utilities available for both desktop/laptop and mobiles which can reduce the blue light emitting from the screens and reduce their effect on Melatonin in body.
For desktop/laptops their is a free desktop utility f.lux. It makes the color and brightness of computer's display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day. When the sun sets, it makes your computer look like your indoor lights. In the morning, it makes things look like sunlight again.
This utility is available for almost all the widely used desktop and mobile platforms e.g. Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS and Android. However for android it works only on rooted devices. But there are many other alternative apps available for it on Play Store. In addition to that many devices such as Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge comes with in built Blue Light Filter feature which servers the same purpose on the phone.
For desktop/laptops their is a free desktop utility f.lux. It makes the color and brightness of computer's display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day. When the sun sets, it makes your computer look like your indoor lights. In the morning, it makes things look like sunlight again.
This utility is available for almost all the widely used desktop and mobile platforms e.g. Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS and Android. However for android it works only on rooted devices. But there are many other alternative apps available for it on Play Store. In addition to that many devices such as Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge comes with in built Blue Light Filter feature which servers the same purpose on the phone.
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