5 Reasons Why You Should Limit Screen Time Before Going to Bed

With the boom of the internet era, it’s challenging to limit screen time. Kids, teens, or adults – everyone is glued to their devices for one or many reasons. While television, mobile phones, laptops, and computers give you entertainment and knowledge, it isn’t necessary that you stick on to the screens all the time, especially before going to bed.

Excess screen time can give you dark circles and tend to keep you awake as a night owl. It can also result in insomnia. And, I am sure you don’t want this, right? Here’s why you need to limit screen time before going to bed.

1. Blue-Light isn’t Friendly

According to Dr. Michael Breus, blue light from screens disturb our circadian rhythm by suppressing the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone. Due to this, we find it difficult to fall asleep once we put off our phones or laptop.

Blue light also has a negative effect on our sleep quality and due to this, we often wake up without completing our sleep cycle.

2. Damage your Eyes

Research from NCBI shows that continuous exposure to blue light can damage the retinal cells. The blue light from the screen causes eye fatigue and can cause recurrent headaches. Too much screen time can also make your eyes dry by preventing them from blinking and might lead to blurred vision.

Buy Blue Light blocking glasses from Lenskart, GlassesGallery, or GlassesShop to protect your eyes when you are working or reading on computers, tablets or mobiles

3. Tricks your Brain to Stay Awake

Playing video games or binge-watching your favorite show on streaming devices gives your brain the signals of amusement and triggers it to keep you awake. This further disturbs your circadian rhythm and distorts your sleep cycle.

4. Triggers your Emotions

Scrolling through social media may prompt your emotions and feelings when you see something new and it might create FOMO.

Bad news might cause you anxiety or if you read something interesting, your brain releases dopamine and make you stare at the ceiling all night, preventing you from falling asleep.

5. Makes you Feel Tired the Next Day

Incomplete sleep or sleepless nights show their impact on subsequent days. As you are awake at night, you will lack concentration and interest to work the next day, feeling groggy all the time. This hampers your productivity and you could end up being guilty of staying up all night.

Tips on How You Can Limit Screen Time Before Going to Bed

Screen time and sleep quality are interrelated, and that’s why we need to avoid screen time before going to bed. According to Sleep Foundation, you need to limit screen time by at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. Yes! We know it’s challenging to stay away from your phone, but if you are cautious of your health, you know you need to part them off.

Here are some tips to help you limit screen time before bed.

• Practice Reading or Journaling– Once you are set to end the day, sit with a book or a journal. Reading books or journaling your thoughts makes your mind relaxed and helps you get better sleep.
• Place your Phone Out of Reach- You can get tempted to use your mobile if it’s around you. So place your mobile away from you, probably in another room.
• Switch on the Night Mode Option on your Phone- If you can’t part your mobile before bed, at least try to toggle the night mode option to reduce the brightness so that the screen would not have an immense effect on your sleep. You can even turn off notifications to prevent distractions.
• Set Up a Bedtime Routine– Make a schedule to follow before sleeping and set a specific time to wake up and sleep. This will tempt your body to stay away from the devices and help you fall asleep.
• Follow Relaxation Activities- You can practice meditation or play some good music before falling asleep. This will relax your mind and make you fall asleep quickly, thereby helping you to limit screen time.
• Set Screen Time Limit- Using apps to limit screen time is a better way to stay away from your smartphones. This works well for kids in limiting screen time, especially before bedtime, as the parents can set a time limit or block a few hours from using the devices.

Also Read: The Importance of Sleep and How Smarty Can Help Achieve Restful Nights

Do you still think you should use your laptops and phones before going to bed? I am sure by now you are convinced to keep them away from your bed. So why not try reading some amazing books or start journaling to ditch the habit of mindless scrolling and limit screen time?

You can explore these stores to get your favorite books- Books2Door, ThriftBooks, Book Outlet, or Walmart.