Smartphone blue light may cause sleep problems.

BBC Newsbeat

More than nine out of 10 young people expose themselves to the blue light from smartphones and tablets, before bed, causing problems with sleep.

A new survey also shows more than 28m people in the UK regularly get no more than seven hours sleep a night. Prof Richard Wiseman, who commissioned the YouGov poll described the findings as “extremely worrying“. Of the 2,149 adults questioned, 78% said they used electronic devices before going to bed. This rose to 91% among the 18 to 24-year-olds questioned in the survey.

“The blue light from these devices suppresses the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, so it’s important to avoid them before bed time,”
said Prof Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire.

Everyone needs different amounts of sleep, but adults are generally thought to require a minimum of seven to eight hours a night. Teenagers are recommended to get more, about nine hours. The proportion of people thought to be getting too little sleep had risen by a fifth since a “bedroom poll” conducted last year by the National Sleep Foundation.

“This is a huge rise, and the results are extremely worrying because getting less than seven hours sleep a night is below the recommended guidelines, and is associated with a range of problems, including an increased risk of weight gain, heart attacks, diabetes and cancer,”

Prof Wiseman said.

The people surveyed were asked if they used a computer, tablet or smartphone in the two hours before bed.  They were also asked about dreams and just one in ten agreed with the statement: “I would describe my dreams as pleasant.”

Last week it was revealed opticians were warning that overuse of smartphones may be increasing people’s risk of eye damage.  Optician Andy Hepworth said: “Blue violet light is potentially hazardous and toxic to the back of your eyes. ”  So over a long period of time it can potentially damage your eyes.  “When you’re looking at a smart phone, the light peaking out of that is blue violet.”…read the full article here

Smartphone light may make most young people lose sleep

Original article published on the BBC News website at 11:00 GMT, Friday, 4 April 2014 12:00 UK
Read the original here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/26886133

Websites Related to Sleep and Insomnia:

1. National Sleep Foundation – Sleep Research and Education
2. NHS Choices – Insomnia Treatment
3. Sleep Manchester
4. Anxiety Manchester

About Inner Changes

Inner Changes is the website of Manchester based UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, Nigel Magowan.  Nigel is a professional and experienced Integrative Psychotherapist / Counsellor, NLP Master Practitioner, Life Coach, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. He has been in full-time private practice for over 12 years and uses a flexible brief integrative approach which combines all his training, skills and experience to produce a treatment that is tailored to your specific needs.

Original article: Published on the BBC Newsbeat website. Accessed 6 April 2014.  Smartphone light may make most young people lose sleep.

The post Smartphone blue light may cause sleep problems appeared on Inner Changes Manchester Counselling/Psychotherapy, NLP, Life Coaching and Clinical Hypnotherapy.