Is your child having a hard time sleeping? Does he or she retire later than usual? Although there are many possible causes of lack of sleep, especially among teens, one of the potential culprits is their cellular phone.
A new study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation reveals that lights coming from electronic devices such as tablets and mobile phones can prevent a person, particularly an adolescent, from getting enough sleep and rest.
In a poll conducted by the foundation among parents who were asked about the sleeping patterns and quality of their children, 45% of those who turned their devices off experienced a more excellent sleep than those who don't.
Lights, especially blue ones, can prevent the pineal gland located in the brain to release melatonin, a hormone that promotes mental and physical relaxation and calmness by reducing the level of alertness at night. Other researches also show that it can delay aging and reduce signs of premenstrual syndrome, as well as improve mood and metabolism, especially among menopausal women.
The gland is designed to secrete the hormones at night a few hours before a person goes to bed and sleep. However, it works only when there's darkness. The glowing lights therefore impede in the process.
This sleeping problem is also more prevalent among teens, who also have to deal with a changing circadian rhythm or body clock. During adolescence, the body tends to fall asleep around an hour or two later than when they were younger. Access to gadgets like gaming consoles and mobile devices will only push their sleeping times much later. Thus, they are often lacking sleep.
To make things worse, based on an experiment conducted between adults and teens, the young ones develop more sensitivity to light. It needs only a very small amount of blue light to disrupt melatonin production and secretion.
The need for a quality sleep among teens drives many schools today to seriously consider or adopt a later start time for classes.