Don’t Touch Your Phone At Night Or Risk Serious Problems!

Sleep deprivation may be a thing of the past, a team of sleep specialists at the Dream Academy Sleep Clinic say.

If only you can put down your phone.

Insomnia and Cell Phones

New studies show the pairing of insomnia and cell phones may be linked and that cell phones are not the perfect solution to dwindling away time while lying awake in bed.

In fact, a higher rate of sleep deprivation was found in subjects who would go to bed and then proceed to post to Facebook and Twitter, or even comment on YouTube videos.

Research shows that even one status update or comment could cause individuals to spend several hours online. The constant fear of missing out on something kept patients refreshing their browsers to see if anyone ‘liked’ their witty statements.

When compared to those who did not touch their phones after going to bed, studies found that individuals actually achieved a good night’s sleep 100% of the time.

“Insomnia sucks”

A common phrase seen late at night on social media sites, but this study proves that if you don’t post about insomnia, you may be able to cure your sleep deprivation.

The conclusion was as simple as putting cell phones down and trying to sleep. When patients actually left their phones plugged in and closed their eyes, they were able to beat off insomnia.

Wait… Who posted this study?!

It all sounds a little too… easy, right? That’s probably because Waterford Whisper News is a satirical site.

So, no actual research, but the writers over at the joke news page might be on to something, and when put so simply in this context, you can’t help but agree it makes sense.

The Real Studies

J.D. Moyer of Oakland California did some research of his own using his cell phone. He found out that his sleep patterns were disrupted the more he used his phone at night.

And real researchers, including Phyllis Zee, neuroscience professor at Northwestern University and director of the Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, say the link is for real.

“If you’re using [the iPad or a laptop] close to bedtime … that light can be sufficiently stimulating to the brain to make it more awake and delay your ability to sleep,” Zee says.

This could be because the light from our cell phones mimics the sun and fools our brains into thinking it’s the daytime.

One study in 2008 actually did find that individuals who exposed themselves to mobile radiation took longer to fall asleep, as well as has less time in a deep sleep.

And with 65% of people saying they sleep with their cell phone next to their bed “in a place where I can easily reach it”, it’s not hard to believe that most people are exposed to this radiation at night.

So next time your friends make a joke about putting your phone to cure your insomnia, you might want to take it seriously.