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Are Smartphones Disrupting Your Sleep? Mayo Clinic Examines the Question
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Smartphones and tablets can make for sleep-disrupting bedfellows. One cause is believed to be the bright light-emitting diodes that allow use of mobile devices in dimly lit rooms. The light exposure can interfere with melatonin, a hormone that helps control the natural sleep-wake cycle. But a Mayo Clinic study suggests dimming the smartphone or tablet brightness settings and holding the device at least 14 inches from your face while using it can help.
Psychiatrist and sleep expert at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., Lois Krahn, M.D., says,“In the old days people would go to bed and read a book. Well, much more commonly people go to bed and they have their tablet on which they read a book or they read a newspaper or they’re looking at material. The problem is it’s a lit device, and how problematic is the light source from the mobile device?”
The research is among several Mayo Clinic studies being presented at SLEEP 2013, the Associated Professional Sleep Societies annual meeting in Baltimore.
Read entire news release: SLEEP Release
Journalists: Edited sound bites with Dr. Krahn are available in the downloads
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