Losing sleep: screen time vs. bed time

(KRIS) If you lie in bed at night and stare at an electronic device, it could be affecting your health.

According to the American Sleep Foundation, 90 percent of people in the United States admit to using a electronic device during the hour before bed.

An artificial blue light is emitted from most screens. This bright light delays the circadian rhythm, which basically is like the body’s internal clock. This suppresses the release of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.

Dr. Salim Surani, professor of Medicine at Texas A&M University Health Science Center, is board certified in sleep medicine and has been studying sleep for almost 25 years.

The biggest issue he sees with the use of devices in bed is sleep deprivation.

“Sleep deprivation is like, you can borrow money from a bank, if you don’t return it, you’re in trouble.” Surani said.

Not only are people staying up late and not getting enough sleep, the noise and bright light of a phone going off through the night can fragment or interrupt our sleep patterns.

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