Is Your iPad Causing Insomnia?
Insomnia is the worst! But your pre-bedtime habits may be contributing to the problem, especially if you use the computer or watch TV before bed. Here’s why.
You know that awful feeling – when you toss and turn, your brain racing, unable to drift off no matter what, as you count the hours until you have to get up and go to work…. There is nothing like insomnia to stress you out and make your life miserable. Did you ever wonder if maybe your computer is the culprit?
Recent research has shown that the type of light emitted by computer and smart phone screens, and some televisions, actually excites your brain and may be keeping you awake if you have used any of these devices shortly before bed.
Check out this article to learn more:
These wonderful devices changing our lives are all the rage.
Yet, they all do something which causes harm in humans. The blue light they emit impairs restful sleep.
How? Exposure prevents the release of melatonin–an essential hormone associated with sleep.
Unfortunately, blue light not only suppresses melatonin production and sleep…
- It’s considered “carcinogenic pollution”–a recent murine study shows blue light correlates with higher cancer rates…
- A lack of melatonin is linked to higher rates of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers, while blocking blue rays with amber glasses is linked to lower cancer rates…
Not only is sleep impacted…
- It also negatively influences thermoregulation, blood pressure and glucose homeostasis…
- Exposure significantly impacts your own mood…
- Lower melatonin in mice is linked with higher rates of depression…
- And blue light exposure may be playing a role in the higher incidence of cataracts and macular degeneration seen today…
How Your Sleep is Compromised
Ordinarily, the pineal gland, a pea-size organ in the brain, begins to release melatonin a couple of hours before your regular bedtime. The hormone is no sleeping pill, but it does reduce alertness, making sleep more inviting.
However, light — particularly of the blue variety — can keep the pineal gland from releasing melatonin, thus warding off sleepiness.
You don’t have to be staring directly at a television or computer screen: If enough blue light hits the eye, the gland can stop releasing melatonin.
The Health Consequences Can Be Chronic and Terminal
Not only does this impact melatonin, a growing body of evidence suggests that a desynchronization of circadian rhythms plays significant role in various tumoral diseases, diabetes, obesity, and depression.
To learn more, as well as how you can avoid this problem without giving up your computer screens for good, read the full article at PrimalSleepSystem.com.
