Have you ever been glued to your cellphone or computer before bedtime and realized that despite the late hour, you're not tired? Maybe "20 more minutes" of reading or fiddling around on the web stretches well into one or two extra hours, and suddenly it's very late. That extra hour of playtime can make a significant dent in your sleep cycle, and a new video from Business Insider explains why.
The LED screens on your electronic devices are probably to blame for your morning grogginess if you're a person who likes to glance at your phone before bed. According to multiple reports, the light that those devices emit trick your brain into thinking it's not time to sleep and disrupt your circadian rhythm (your body's internal clock). So when it comes time to turn off the lights, your brain hasn't begun to secrete melatonin, the sleep hormone that boasts some added benefits.
And what happens when you don't get enough or proper sleep?
"It makes your attention falter, your memory is impaired, your ability to think through problems is challenged, your insulin, even, that helps regulate your metabolism is turned upside down so you're more likely to gain weight from what you eat and eat more," Dr. Dan Siegel, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, tells Business Insider in the video below. "And then, if that weren't enough, it's actually toxic to the connections in your cells in your brain." Yikes.
So turn off those phones, and SHARE this post with your friends so they can break the habit, too!
