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Flash screen light smartphones rob sleep at night
Not only in Germany, more and more people suffer from chronic sleep deprivation. There are enough reasons for this. Smartphones can also play a role. The light of the screens resembles that of a bright day at lunchtime and signals, "Wake up!"
Smartphones disturb sleep
Smartphones are putting children and adolescents under constant stress, experts have been criticizing for a long time. This also has a negative impact on health. Concentration disorders and fatigue threaten. As scientists reported last year, cell phones rob children of sleep and should therefore be banned from the bedroom at night. But even in adults it can come to sleep problems due to the use of smartphones, tablets and co. Blame on it is obviously especially the "blue" screen light of the devices.
Smartphones rob sleep. Picture: by Lieres - fotolia Screen light is similar to that of bright sunlight
According to experts, it would be better to surf the net at night in bed or chat with friends via Skype. The light from the screens of devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops messes up people's inner clock. According to a report of the "Welt", this composition of light resembles sunlight on a bright day at lunchtime in a bright blue sky. This blue, short-wave light therefore sends the signal "awakening" to the human body. Horst-Werner Korf, a chronobiologist at the University of Frankfurt, told the newspaper: "As a result, the body releases less melatonin - the damping hormone that initiates sleep. In short, the light from the screens obscures the inner clocks. "
Impairment to the eyes
In addition, there are dangers to the eyes when screened for a long time. Tired and dry eyes are not uncommon. Often it comes to itchy eyes and headaches. According to a study by the US organization The Vision Council, nearly 70 percent of digital natives (born between 1981-1996) have such symptoms. The "blue" light of the screens will further aggravate the strain. The authors of the study advise to apply a cooling eye mask every evening. In addition, they recommend screen workers to look away from the screen for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes for something about six meters away. Not only people who work in the office, but all those who frequently use devices with screens, should take the advice of Alexander Markowetz, junior professor of computer science at the University of Bonn to heart. The author, who authored the book "Digital Burnout," called for a digital diet for cell phone users in an interview and called for "cell phone-free zones," such as in the bedroom.
Advantage of artificial light with increased blue content
Nocturnal surfers and computer gamers who now think they can handle the problem with the "blue light" simply by going to bed later and then sleeping off are wrong. Disrupting the biological clock can cause sleep disorders, lack of motivation, oblivion, cardiovascular problems, and depression. According to an older study, disruption of the internal clock can also cause diabetes. However, the "blue" light in addition to the negative side effects also have some benefits for humans. When natural daylight is lacking - for example due to an unfavorable workstation or poorly lit locations - artificial blue light can help boost momentum. This emerges from a study conducted under the direction of Claude Gronfier at the French research institute Inserm. The findings were published in the journal "PLOS ONE". (Ad)