I read a lot of blogs and articles on quite a large number of subjects. I recently read one about the effect of smartphones (and being tethered to them) and sleep.
Let me give you the top-line in an article I read the other day written by Dan Cook for the site Employee Benefits News Retirement Advisors | BenefitsPro. According to research done by the University of Florida, Michigan State University and the University of Washington, findings show that the more you’re tethered to your phone, after normal work hours, the less likely you are to get a good night’s sleep.
In fact, the research showed that if your phone is next to you when you’re actually sleeping, your chances of getting a good night’s sleep fall even lower and could very well affect your performance the following day.
But there’s one more interesting thing that the research found, that I think extends way past cell phones — I’ll call it the “Blue Light Special”. Researchers found that colored lights and especially those pesky blue LED lights that some phones have can affect melatonin levels, the chemical in the body that helps you sleep.
As I look around my house, I see quite a few devices that emit that blue light. My DirecTV boxes have it. My Ooma telephone box has it. My router and internet switches have colored lights. In fact, just about every room in the house has something throwing off some light.
There’s a couple of simple solutions that might help you sleep a little better. First, leave the phone charging in another room. Is there really something that important in the middle of the night that you have to check?
Next, if you have some devices in your bedroom that are throwing off those colored lights (especially that blue one or ones that blink) get some electrical tape and cover it up. You’d be surprised at the difference that that can make.
