{"id":486,"date":"2018-04-23T21:18:47","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T21:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/?p=486"},"modified":"2018-07-31T22:50:39","modified_gmt":"2018-07-31T22:50:39","slug":"benefits-reading-bed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/23\/benefits-reading-bed\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Phone is Hurting Your Sleep: Try Reading Instead"},"content":{"rendered":"<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-487\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_96060898__1523540117_21879.jpg\" alt=\"woman reading in bed\" width=\"770\" height=\"auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_96060898__1523540117_21879.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_96060898__1523540117_21879-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/AdobeStock_96060898__1523540117_21879-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of people experiencing issues falling and staying asleep is on the rise, and researchers believe this is largely due to the fact that many are exposed to blue light emitted by phones and TV screens immediately before bed. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/staying-healthy\/blue-light-has-a-dark-side\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to experts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, blue light delays melatonin release (the hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness), with sleep suffering as a result. Research proves that those who make checking technology before bed a regular habit experience a more difficult time falling and staying asleep.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><b>The Facts<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a 2017 study by the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2017\/08\/170822103434.htm\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of Haifa and Assuta Sleep Clinic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, blue light was proven to make it much harder for a person to fall asleep while simultaneously damaging the duration and quality of rest.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study consisted of 19 healthy adults ages 20-29, who were placed in front of a computer screen between 9pm and 11pm, the hours when the body begins to naturally produce melatonin. The screen exposed them to four different types of light: high-intensity blue light, low-intensity blue light, high-intensity red light, and low-intensity red light.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After exposure to red light (at both intensities), participants experienced an average of 4.5 unnoticed awakenings<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low-intensity blue light = 6.7 awakenings<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High-intensity blue light = As many as 7.6 awakenings<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Test showed that blue light disrupted the production of melatonin and shortened sleep duration by approximately 16 minutes. It also significantly disrupted the continuity of sleep.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsurprisingly, those exposed to blue light also reported that they felt tired and in a worse mood.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many of us, checking a phone or watching TV on a laptop is a natural way to wind down, taking your mind off of stress at work or at home. While it\u2019s tempting to look at our devices until the very last minute before falling asleep, there are other methods of relaxation that are both entertaining and stress-relieving while also promoting healthy rest. <\/span>\r\n<h2><b>Why You Should Try Reading Instead<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve probably heard the advice to wind down with a book at bedtime before &#8212; it\u2019s commonly-given guidance for getting better sleep. We\u2019re here to provide the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> behind this notion that may just convince you to pick up that book collecting dust on your desk. <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A study at the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/health\/news\/5070874\/Reading-can-help-reduce-stress.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of Sussex<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> run by cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis found that reading reduced stress more than any other traditional method of relaxation. The study was conducted on a group of volunteers who, through a series of tests and exercises, had stress levels and heart rates increased before being asked to try various methods of winding down. Reading helped relax participants the most, reducing stress levels by 68%. It helped lower stress more than listening to music (stress reduction of 61%) taking a walk (42%) and playing video games (21%). <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reading effectively distracts the mind from the worries of life, helping your muscles relax, releasing built-up tension, and lowering your heart rate. In other words, it promotes healthy escapism that can put you in a more serene mindstate before bed. <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, reading has been proven to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncu.edu\/blog\/reading-improves-memory-concentration-and-stress\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">boost concentration, improve memory,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and, with fiction in particular, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/the-athletes-way\/201412\/can-reading-fictional-story-make-you-more-empathetic\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increase empathy and imagination<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reading has even been proven to help you live longer. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2016\/aug\/08\/book-up-for-a-longer-life-readers-die-later-study-finds\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a 2016 study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of 3,635 people aged 50 and older, those who spent time buried in a book lived almost <\/span><b>two years <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">longer on average than those who didn\u2019t read at all. <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From cognitive development to stress relief, reading has a host of benefits. Picking up a book before bed as an alternative to spending time with a screen can significantly lower stress and put you in the emotional and physical state that is optimal for a great night\u2019s sleep and a well-rested morning. <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve tried reading before bed, and still consistently struggle with falling asleep at night and staying alert during the day, you may be suffering from a serious sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/request-an-appointment.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact our office<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a free consultation &#8212; we can help determine the root cause of your sleep issues and find the treatment option that\u2019s right for you. <\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The number of people experiencing issues falling and staying asleep is on the rise, and researchers believe this is largely due to the fact that many are exposed to blue light emitted by phones and TV screens immediately before bed. According to experts, blue light delays melatonin release (the hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness), with sleep suffering as a result. Research proves that those who make checking technology before bed a regular habit experience [&hellip;] <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/23\/benefits-reading-bed\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Your Phone is Hurting Your Sleep: Try Reading Instead<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The blue light emitted from phone and computer screens is proven to affect the quality and duration of your rest. Other methods of relaxation before bed can significantly reduce stress and help you slip into slumber faster.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/23\/benefits-reading-bed\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Your Phone is Hurting Your Sleep: Try Reading Instead\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"The blue light emitted from phone and computer screens is proven to affect the quality and duration of your rest. 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