After dinner, when you head to bed, bedtime may not actually begin when you lie down.
ALSO READ: Sleep doctor shares 2 rules to fix sleep routine and rest better: ‘When you go to bed at 10…’ Many are in the habit of checking their phone in bed at night.
But this repeated late-night screen use can interfere with sleep, mood, focus and overall brain health.
,HT Lifestyle, in a chat with Dr G.K. Jadhav, senior consultant- radiation oncology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, to understand the health implications of late-night screen use.
This behaviour is now seen across the world, with adults globally setting their bedtime by an hour late due to late-night screen use.
After dinner, when you head to bed, bedtime may not actually begin when you lie down. For many, they may sleep well after one or two hours, after they are done with doomscrolling, and even their feed seems to have run out of things to show. And it is not just social media.
ALSO READ: Sleep doctor shares 2 rules to fix sleep routine and rest better: ‘When you go to bed at 10…’ Many are in the habit of checking their phone in bed at night. (Picture credit: Freepik)
Since most people spend the day busy with work, errands and responsibilities, it may extend bedtime at night in hope of getting some ‘me time,’ whether by binge-watching their favourite shows or curating their dream Pinterest boards. But this repeated late-night screen use can interfere with sleep, mood, focus and overall brain health. ,
HT Lifestyle, in a chat with Dr G.K. Jadhav, senior consultant- radiation oncology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, to understand the health implications of late-night screen use.
Why screens can confuse the brain at night? The doctor believed that screens can actually confuse the brain at night because the brain follows a natural internal clock that is responsible for regulating sleep and wake cycles.
How does this natural process get disturbed by screens? “As evening approaches, the body starts producing melatonin, the hormone that signals it is time to sleep. However, smartphones, laptops and televisions emit blue light, which can interfere with this process and delay the brain’s sleep signals,” Dr Jadhav noted.
To put it simply, your brain behaves as if it is still daytime, and this is not normal or natural. The doctor further flagged that this is not an isolated, scattered habit. This behaviour is now seen across the world, with adults globally setting their bedtime by an hour late due to late-night screen use.
