Using Cell Phones at Night Could Lead to Disturbed Sleep Patterns

Using cell phones or tablets during bedtime could be the reason why you are not able to sleep soundly in the night, a new study reveals.

Researchers from Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York said that the display light from cell phones or tablets leads to the suppression of melatonin, a chemical that regulates our body clock.

This suppression may affect our sleep with researchers suggesting that the problem was more pronounced among teenagers.

"Our study shows that a two-hour exposure to light from self-luminous electronic displays can suppress melatonin by about 22 percent. Stimulating the human circadian system to this level may affect sleep in those using the devices prior to bedtime", lead researcher Mariana Figueiro said. The study has been published in the journal Applied Ergonomics.

Source: Medindia

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