Two things about your smartphone. It emits blue light, and it can keep your brain on high alert. Put them together and you鈥檝e got a recipe for a disastrous night in bed.
First, the blue light. Looking at light on the blue end of the color spectrum sends a signal to your brain to stop the production of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep, says , a clinical psychologist who specializes in sleep. 鈥淏asically, it is telling your brain it鈥檚 morning.鈥 The result: a tough time falling asleep. But that鈥檚 not the only thing your phone has going against it at night.
鈥淚 would argue that blue light isn鈥檛 as big of a deal as the level of engagement your phone can require,鈥 says Breus. If you鈥檙e emailing, texting, playing Candy Crush, and scheduling morning meetings, 鈥渢hat level of engagement is pretty significant,鈥 he says. It鈥檚 enough to keep you awake.
Better to zone out by skimming a magazine, listening to music, or stretching. Even watching Seinfeld on a blue-light-emitting LED screen while tucked under the covers is better than responding to email, says Breus.
Start plugging in your phone outside of your bedroom and get into a more relaxing nighttime routine. If you鈥檙e an evening reader like Breus, swap your Kindle for a real book and a . Unlike energy-efficient LED bulbs found in most modern houses, 鈥渢hese bulbs don鈥檛 have blue light and won鈥檛 impact your body鈥檚 ability to make melatonin,鈥 says Breus, who has one on his nightstand.
Want some sleep feedback? Swap a sleep app for the . Billed as the 鈥渨orld鈥檚 first noncontact sleep system,鈥 the S+ looks like a little modern sculpture that sits on a nightstand to track your sleep. It鈥檒l identify any issues you may have鈥攍ike suboptimal room temperature, for instance鈥攖o help improve your shut-eye.