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It is no secret that we use our phones every single day for every single thing. If we want to go out, we need Google Maps for the directions. If we want to eat food, we use UberEats to order in. If we want to relax, we rely on Spotify to unwind. Even when we don’t want to intentionally use our phones, most of the time we end up doing so. It is undeniable that our reliance on smartphones has improved our quality of life by making simple tasks easier and faster. However, one cannot say the same about the way smartphones have impacted our brains - our sleep in particular.
Blue light, a high-energy, short-wavelength component of the visible light spectrum, is emitted by smartphones. Other digital gadgets, including laptops and tablets, also emit this blue light. While exposure to blue light from the sun throughout the day is necessary for controlling our circadian cycles (behavioural, mental and physical patterns that follow a 24 hour cycle) and encouraging alertness, artificial blue light from screens can have some negative effects, especially when used at night or in the evening.
Blue light and red light are two importatnt factors that determine your body's sleeping habits. Blue light is abundantly present in nature especially during the mornings, being a natural alarm clock for your body by signalling to the brain that it is time to wake up and be alert and aware. Whereas red light on the other hand is emitted in the evening when the sun sets, signalling to your body that it is time to go to sleep soon. When you use your smartphone excessively during the night, this confuses your brain and in turn it makes your body alert and active, depriving you of sleep. On a long-term scale, the usage of cellphones before bed may disturb the body's normal sleep-wake cycle and make it harder to fall asleep at night - thus making it harder to wake up in the morning, which might alter sleep patterns and perhaps have an impact on general cognitive performance and wellbeing.
Smartphones are a source of instant gratification, through the release of dopamine from checking notifications or scrolling through social media, making them highly addictive. This makes it hard to put the phone aside and go to sleep. Nonetheless, it is imperative to do so as prioritising good sleep is essential for not only productivity and the physical body but also the emotional and cognitive well-being.
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