Bygone is the era when Television was blamed to be the sole culprit for disturbance in sleep patterns and Dry eyes. For a Millennial and Gen Z in any part of the world, it wont be an overstatement that Mobile phones have evolved as an external human organ.
Across the world, this prime need of ‘staying connected’ has added one more fundamental resource to living. Just Oxygen, Food, Water and Shelter doesn’t suffice. Add INTERNET to it. And also add the electronic gadgets one need to access this whole wide web of Internet.
We require screens as much we need basics for life. The need to stay connected perpetually, the need to access information regularly, the need for digital face time, the need to not miss even a single update on social media sites, the need for entertainment and need for work have made us excessively dependent on screens.
Simultaneously, when a large population of the world is becoming aware and waking up to the perils of excess screen time, digital eye strain and missing the real human connection, what is very less focused upon and stay low-key is the exposure to Sleep Inversion which digital screens bring along.
What is Sleep Inversion ?
Blue light emitted by electronic gadgets that causes dry eyes is not new and certainly need no introduction. Sleep Inversion simply implies disruption in normal sleep schedule due to too much exposure to blue light at night and is emerging as one of the major consequences of screen saturation caused by excess usage of Mobile phones, laptops and e-readers.
It is defined as an irregular pattern in sleeping habits wherein one struggle to fall asleep and experience nocturnal tendency due to the eye strain caused by blue light emitted from electronic devices which in turn play with quality of sleep.
Excerpt from a research on the Study conducted on Sleep Quality “When we looked at Smartphone use around the time when participants reported they went to bed, more smartphone use around that time was associated with a longer time to fall asleep and worse sleep quality during the night”
So, How does one find solutions to get a sound sleep in Screen age ?
Making no denial to the high utility and need of these gadgets in day to day schedule, here are few very simple and basic practices one can certainly utilize in order to reduce exposure to the blue light and fix sleep pattern.
- Seek Optical Aid ; Wear blue light blocking glasses with zero power while glaring at screens.
- Reduce Screen usage during late evening and night hours.
- Switch Mobile phone to read mode.
- Take a digital exile for few hours.
- Lessen the brightness of e-readers and laptop screens.
To set your day ahead productive, enhance cognitive functioning and boost creative streak, take care of your sleep and make sleep time screen free.
It’s in all measures worth it for one’s well-being!