How One Daily Habit is Ruining Your Sleep

It’s 11:14 PM and you’re sending out that final email. “I just need to…” you tell yourself to justify staying plugged in for a few more minutes.

Depending on the age group and task at hand, it could a computer, mobile device, video game or even the TV that is keeping us connected and wired deep into the darkness of the night.

Of course, some of us love the feeling of being more productive and for others, we need the TV to unwind and relax. But at what cost?

Sleep is one of the core requirements for everyone.

It plays a crucial role in our health, performance and productivity.

Interrupted or impaired sleep can dramatically weaken your immune system, accelerate tumour growth, cause a pre-diabetic state, and impair your memory.

As our body prepares for rest, we experience a cascade of hormones and chemicals that set the stage for a healthy sleep cycle. The neuronal activity in our brain slows, heart rate is decreased, blow flow to organs increases and we slip deeply into a restful slumber.

When we stay hooked up to our devices this vital process is disrupted and the end result, especially when this becomes the norm, is far from good.

It results in the excess secretion of cortisol, which can lead to insulin resistance, fat accumulation, and systemic inflammation as well as a delay in the secretion of melatonin which has been linked with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)…it’s all part of a very damaging trend for your health.

HOW DO WE UNPLUG?

1. Establish a Restoration Routine before bedtime.

Take time before bed to unwind and relax. Turn off anything with a screen: phone, computer, TV’s, video games. Consider reading, journaling, or spending quality time with your spouse instead of playing Candy Crush.

2. Make your room an “Electronic-Free” zone.

Leave your computers and especially your phone outside your room. If you need an alarm clock, go old school and purchase an analog version. Keep TV’s out of the bedroom and where they belong.

3. Protect yourself from blue light.

Download f.lux for your laptop or computer. This is a great free program to minimize blue light and adapt your screen to the time of day.

Starting with these simple steps will go a long way in helping you break the addiction and stop ruining your sleep.

Let us know how this worked for you! We would love to hear your comments.

Dr. Jamie Richards

I’m Jamie and I’m obsessed with health, passionate about maximizing performance and love being an expert in Bio-Structural Restoration™. As the CEO and founder of Life By Design Inc. I have the drive to lead our community toward extraordinary lives. I am in love with my wife, Dana, daughters Andie & Scottie, I’m fanatical about modern design, and I’m deeply committed to the pursuit of a happy life.