Are You Fond Of Browsing The Phone Before Going To Bed?

For most people, the screen of a cell phone is the first thing they see in the morning and the last thing they see before going to bed. Nobody can deny the fact that living without a cell phone today is extremely difficult but must we be so glued to them? Staring into a phone or tablet screen, before going to sleep affects your sleep as well as impacts your health. Here's how:

It is harder to fall asleep - We feel sleepy when the brain releases a hormone called melatonin, which is controlled by the body's circadian rhythm and exposure to light. The blue light of a cell phone screen interferes with this rhythm and indicates the brain not to secrete melatonin, which makes it difficult for us to sleep even after we have switched off our phone.

It hampers the quality of sleep - A direct effect of sleeping late is that the number of hours are reduced. On top of that, using a cell phone before going to bed also hampers the quality of your sleep. When an office email or a text message is the last thing you see before going to sleep, our brain does not shut down completely, which makes us tense while we sleep.

It lowers your attention span - When we wake up from a restless night's sleep, our productivity suffers. When we are unable to sleep properly it is known to hamper our decision-making skills, impairs both long-term and short-term memory and distracts us. This leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety.

It increases the risk of weight gain - The body is more likely to feel hungry when it doesn't get enough sleep. This is because sleep-deprived people have a lower metabolism. Thus using a cell phone before sleeping also increases the chance of snacking on something unhealthy to get through the day and in turn leads to weight gain.

It weakens your immune system - The body's immune system produces antibodies that fight infections while we are asleep. Depriving the body of the sleep it requires, weakens the immune system by not giving it enough time to build its forces. Not only does this increase the risk of falling ill it also slows down recovery from illnesses.

It damages your skin - Sleeping late at night and not getting enough sleep can cause dark circles, puffy eyes and fine lines across the face. The blue light of a cell phone screen also tells the body to secrete cortisol which makes the skin less elastic and smooth.

Thus, even if we look at a phone screen for just five minutes every night before going to bed, the side effects last much longer and affect our mental and physical health as well as your looks.