There is a lot of debate on how exposure to blue light from screens is affecting human sleep patterns. It is, however, generally accepted that using electronic devices has affected our sleep-wake habits, delaying the onset of sleep and overall quality. Now, fresh research says screen use before bed hurts sleep habits across all age groups, and in varied ways.
Research published in the JAMA Journal analyzed the pattern of screen usage right before falling asleep in over 122,000 participants for a period of two years. The experts behind the cross-sectional study found that people who are exposed to screens before bed have a 33% higher prevalence of poor sleep quality.
Interestingly, the study also clears that using phones and other screen-equipped devices in bed is not only affecting adults, but a broad spectrum of people across different age groups. “Our findings strengthen the evidence that electronic screen use and disruptions to sleep duration and quality are not limited to children and adolescents but to the broader adult population as well,” says the research paper.
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This is the largest study, so far, to assess the impact of screen usage in bed and how it affects the sleep outcome in an adult population across a massive age pool. Moreover, it didn’t just analyze gross sleep timing but also accounted for factors such as average timing and quality of sleep.
Bad impact, across the board
Interestingly, the study mentions that average sleep time on weekdays was more affected than on weekends, which means screen exposure at bedtime could directly impact our productivity at work due to reduced sleep time. “Daily screen use was associated with later bedtimes and approximately 50 minutes less sleep each week,” says the report.
Furthermore, screen exposure is not only reducing the time we spend sleeping but also delaying our bedtimes. On average, people who engage with on-screen activity before bed reported roughly 19-20 minutes of pushback in their bedtimes on working as well as non-working days.
All these effects are also compounded. Not only did participants get fewer minutes of sleep, but their bedtimes also got delayed and sleep quality was worsened, as well. To measure the quality of sleep in participants, the team relied on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a widely used sleep assessment tool that ranks sleep quality across four levels.
Corrective tools are available, too
Thankfully, behavioral interventions can help, and the tools to enable them are available on the same devices that are hurting us. For example, smartphones now offer a dedicated bedtime mode that silences audio interruptions and makes visual changes, too.
Users can set time limits on apps that eat up their time at night, and also enable screen time reminders to nudge them into taking a break. Wearable brands like Fitbit also offer tools that can help users get their sleep schedule in order.
The risks are high, but the benefits are no less impactful. A recent study mentioned that an hourly rise in daily screen time increases the risks of myopia by 21% in users. On the other hand, another study earlier this year said reducing screen time can work better than anti-depressants at improving mental health and sleep habits.
