Unplug Before You Unwind

June 27th, 2015

In my practice, I am finding many people who are having trouble sleeping.  The common factor is the use of electronic devices.  With tablets, cell phones, and TV’s every home fighting for our attention, our minds are finding it difficult to relax and recharge.  Studies have shown that there are light sensitive receptors behind our eyes that help our brains decide whether to get up and tackle the day or relax and prepare for sleep.  With many electronic devices emitting blue ray light, which are the rays which are found to stimulate these receptors the most, and screens so bright our bodies can be easily fooled into thinking it’s daylight.  Ever wonder why you feel a “second wind” after using your tablet even though you may have initially been exhausted.  In particular, TV’s and LED lights in our lamps contain much more blue ray lights than their predecessors.  While technology does simplify our lives in many ways, we need to make sure it is not affecting our health and wellness negatively.  Here are some tips to help you get better sleep.  Think about how even an extra half hour of sleep would make you feel the next day.  Will you be more productive?  Will you be less hungry?  Will you have more energy to run an extra 10 minutes?  Indeed, sleep has many benefits!

• Keep electronic devices out of the bedroom.  If you must have a phone for emergencies, turn it to vibrate and place it upside down on your nightstand.
• Avoid using electronic devices one hour before bedtime.  A Kindle or a reading device that does not emit strong light is fine.
• Start dimming the lights in your home an hour before bedtime.  I strongly recommend putting dimmer switches on your lamps and light fixtures.
• Avoid any television shows or internet media with intense topics.  Some people can get emotionally distressed after watching images of wars, terrorism, or disasters.  This can translate into restless sleep or worry that can affect initiation of sleep.
• Set a reverse alarm.  This is an alarm that you set on your clock or phone for a specific time each night after which all devices must be turned off and lights dimmed or turned off.  This can be quite effective if you are the type of person who likes to surf the web from one page to another or “binge watch” TV series.  Hours can go by without realizing it quite easily!   An alarm would help you to set limits.