Taking tablets at night can cause insomnia.

September 11, 2019

As we know, the 21st century is the era of the renaissance of technology. In the past, most people would read a book before going to bed, but nowadays, a large number of people check their e-mail, Facebook, or Instagram shortly before going to bed.

To some extent, it is precisely because of all this that our attitude towards tablets and technology in general is easily discernible, which in itself is not bad, although it is necessary to be aware of the side effects that can be caused by using tablets at night.

Moreover, tablets are the second most popular digital technology after phones.

British psychologists analyzed the results of dozens of studies and came to the conclusion that tablets, laptops, and other electronic gadgets cause people to have trouble sleeping, the article was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Researchers warn that the blue light emitted by screens can disrupt our nighttime sleep. The blue light emitted by tablets and other electronic gadgets is as similar to daylight as possible, which is why using tablets at night tricks our brains into thinking it's still daytime.

Blue light suppresses the production of a brain chemical called melatonin. Melatonin, the main hormone of the pineal gland, regulates circadian rhythms. It is taken in pill form to correct the “biological clock” during insomnia.

The amount of this hormone in the human body changes rhythmically, specifically, as a rule, at night, from midnight to 5 am, its amount in the body is particularly high, and during the day, it is lower.

In contrast, there is light that is more orange and red in tone, which, unlike blue light, does not suppress melatonin production at all; moreover, the human brain perceives lighting of these colors as the end of the day.

Neurologists have known for years that late-night screen time can disrupt sleep, whether it's a TV screen, a computer screen, or a cell phone screen.

Tablets are portable technology, which makes them much more convenient to use. This is why people use them for a long time at night, before going to bed, without thinking about how much damage tablet use can cause to their sleep pattern.

Researchers at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York City have warned that using tablets for more than two hours can suppress our natural melatonin levels because the devices emit optical radiation at short wavelengths.

In other words, they emit a faint light. They say that while turning off devices at night is the ultimate solution, it is also recommended to minimize and limit the time spent on tablets or smartphones at night.

Using them at night is not only linked to poor sleep, researchers say that constant sleep disruption can lead to obesity and even breast cancer.

It is also worth noting that tablet makers can change the spectral energy distribution of lighting devices so that this lighting has less of a negative impact on both sleep and overall human health.

If you want more tips, check out our previous article about tablets .

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