Wellness Wednesday Tip #9: Ditch the Phone in the Bedroom
/Happy #WellfieWednesday friends!
This week’s tip is to try sleeping without your phone in the bedroom. [Insert gasps and looks of shock/horror here]. While I know this may sound unthinkable, I bet most can relate to the feeling of lying down in bed after a long day, pulling up Facebook or Instagram, and next thing you know you’ve been scrolling for 2 hours and are having muscle spasms in your thumb. The light from our phones, tablets, and even TV screens disrupt the natural sleep-wake cycle in the brain (Circadian Rhythm) and prevents your body from relaxing in preparation for sleep.
My wife and I personally made this change about a year ago and had both noticed a difference in our ability to fall asleep faster. Since we both used our phones as alarm clocks, we had to invest in traditional alarm clocks (about $30 total), but it was worth the change. Ditching the phones gave us extra time for sleep and improved our mental clarity when waking up the next day.
So give it a shot, and let us know how it goes! And trust me, that political rant from the kid you knew in high school who you haven’t spoken to in 12 years and the cat video from your crazy Aunt will still be there in the morning.
Thanks again for all of the #WellfieWednesday support, be sure to post your pictures again this week and tag Patrick (@PBernerSPT) or myself (@Eric_in_AmERICa) and keep the wave of healthy change going!
Further information:
http://www.journals.elsevier.com/sleep-medicine
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249592.php
https://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/electronics-the-bedroom
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/power-down-better-sleep#1
- Dr. Eric Uveges, PT, DPT
- Dr. Patrick Berner, PT, DPT
