Screen Time and Sleep Cycle

Increased screen time has been a major problem with the introduction of various electronic devices. Earlier it used to be for TV and now it is for phones, tablets, laptops. There's no question that blue rays are harmful to our eyes, but we can’t totally back off with it because people these days are dependent on it for each and everything. But we can do one thing in order to combat it and this is to decrease our screen time. So now let’s gid in deep to know more about this alarming cause.  Electronic devices emit an artificial blue light that can suppress the release of the body’s sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. this can interfere with the body’s natural internal clock that signals when it’s time to sleep and wake up. So, we can say that this screen on which you are reading this article isn’t healthy for you. But but but. Remember, we all have heard from our elders that everything in excess is not good. Be it anything. And the same goes for this screen rays. I do agree that we have to spend hours on screen for schooling and studying but apart from them we spend way more hours on social media and we are so engrossed in the spool world of media that we lose the track of time and find ourselves stalking people at 2:00 am. It’s true, right?

We think that it is cool to stay up till such odd hours, but we don’t know that we will have to face severe consequences in the future. Always remember to go for things that won’t harm you. If staying up and simply scrolling up and down on social media gives you headache and serious diseases like insomnia then it is no cooler, you are making hoodwink of yourself. No, let’s see how your screen time affects your sleep cycle. Well, most people think that screen rays can only damage their eyes, but we remain ignorant of some shocking facts. Salk Institute researchers have pinpointed how certain cells in the eye process ambient light and reset our internal clocks, the daily cycles of physiological processes known as the circadian rhythm. When these cells are exposed to artificial light late into the night, our internal clocks can get confused, resulting in a host of health issues. When these cells are exposed to ongoing light, a protein called melanopsin continually regenerates within them, signaling levels of ambient light directly to the brain to regulate consciousness, sleep, and attentiveness. According to Mr. Shadab Rahman, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, its natural cycles tell us when to sleep and when to get up in the morning. These cycles are known as our circadian (Sur-KAY-dee-un) rhythms. The light of day and the dark of night both work to help keep this internal clock running on a roughly 24-hour cycle. Computers, televisions, tablets, and other electronic devices give off all colors of light. And he notes, evidence has been emerging that these screens — and especially the blue light they give off — can disrupt the body’s clock. 

So basically, this unusual and so dubbed ‘cool’ lifestyle has an overall impact from our personality to our brain from eyes to our sleep cycle. And believe me, if we don’t start working on this from now it will be too late and then you will blame yourself. As mentioned before there are terrible consequences of doing this. If you want to go in military or Indian army or any defense force, you need to maintain a routine and your eyes must have a sharp vision. So, if you lie in this category of being a useless night bird and you are an army aspirant then you are spoiling your future. Now all this was about our ‘night owls’. What about the morning persons? We all have a habit of checking our phone the first thing in the morning. It’s like an urge from inside to check our phones, right?

It's such a beautiful morning with the melodious sound of chirping birds, but we people are engrossed in our phones even in this beautiful aura. We all may give different reasons for doing so but the point is, is that it’s not good for you in long term. ‘Blue-ray is bad for sleep’. Just keep this is mind when you are on your phone on your bed. Be attentive, alert and keep a track of your screen time, and if you don’t then this screen is going to become your worst enemy in the future. You would go away from it, but it won’t let you do that. Take steps beforehand before it’s too late and you are an addict to this screen.

Anvi Tyagi

Class -9

DWPS Noida Extn.