Technology Keeps Sleep Away

Technology in the bedroom is keeping America awake when it should be sleeping, say researchers, commenting on a growing trend in the country. Although electronic gadgets do make life pleasant and easy, they could also to have a detrimental effect on the general well-being. Americans seem to be inclined to watch TV, play video games or just check emails and text messages before they go to sleep. This interferes with the sleep patterns and getting little sleep, the quality of work done the next day is very poor.

People between the ages of 46 and 64, who were known as baby boomers watch television every night before going to sleep, and among young people, more than a third of 13-18 year-olds and 28 percent of young adults 19-29 year olds played video games before bedtime. Using the computer or laptop before going to bed was an absolute necessity for 61 per cent of the people who were surveyed and often, even when they do go to sleep, incoming messages, emails and phone calls would awaken them.

Charles Czeisler, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, has warned of the effects of artificial light in increasing alertness and in inhibiting the release of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone.

More than adults, teenagers, the Generation Z’ers, 13 to 18-year-olds lost their sleep because of their Blackberries. While experts recommend 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night, the study revealed that young people get only an average of 7 hours and 26 minutes. According to Czeisler, this is a loss of about fifty hours of sleep every month.

The study also commented on the ways people compensate for their loss of sleep. Consuming caffeinated drinks and taking short naps through the day keep them going – till they can sit up the next night with their mobile phones or laptops.

According to experts lack of sleep is negatively impacting work, mood, family, driving habits, sex lives and health of Americans today.

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Source-Medindia