Let’s be real. A lot of us love scrolling on our phones before bed. Whether it is to check up on social media or watch videos of silly animals, it often seems like the end of the night wouldn’t be complete with our eyes trained on a screen. However, some research indicates the habit is bad for our health.
A study published this March in the JAMA Network Open journal found that daily screen use prior to bed was associated with a 33 percent higher prevalence of poor sleep quality and 7.64 fewer minutes of sleep on workdays. That study included more than 122,000 participants from age 27 to age 85.
“According to the study, these devices delay the release of melatonin, and this suppresses the pineal gland. A buffer zone of greater than an hour before bedtime is now recommended,” said Dr. Brian McDonough, medical editor at KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia.
Another recent study published in the Frontiers in Psychiatry journal that included 45,202 participants aged 18 to 29 years old found that increasing screen time for one hour before bed is associated with 59% higher odds of having symptoms of insomnia. It also found that increase was associated with a 24-minute reduction in sleep duration.
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“Screen use in bed has become a widespread habit, particularly among young people. This behavior has been associated with poor sleep, with some studies indicating that social media use may be especially detrimental,” said that study. Researchers found that social media use did not reduce sleep time more than other types of device use.
Data published by the Sleep Foundation last January indicates that around 75 percent of children and 70 percent of adults use electronic devices in their bedroom or in bed. Earlier this year, Audacy also reported on efforts to promote better sleeping habits in the U.S. by doing away with daylight saving time.