The digital age’s impact on your sleep
By: Riley Duignan
You have likely been told by your parents or an adult to put your phone down before bed, or “it’s because of that phone,” when you complain about your exhaustion in the morning. But what if it really is because of the phone?
Studies have shown that your quality of sleep is disrupted by blue light right before bed and in the evening. Due to this, it makes it harder for you not just to fall asleep, but also to wake up. In addition, it can also limit the amount of REM sleep you get, which is the deepest state of sleep. REM sleep is not considered the most important stage of sleep, but it is a necessity for physical wellness and recovery.
The simple and short explanation of how blue light interrupts sleep is that it fools your brain into thinking it’s daytime. But, there’s way more explanation than just this.
Our eyes and bodies rely on a 24-hour cycle, generally following sunset and sunrise. It allows alertness during the day and sleep at night. Based on the type of light our eyes absorb, our brain will react in certain ways. For example, the sun emits white light, which allows the brain to be alert and more awake, increasing serotonin levels. But white light isn’t just white; it’s a blend of all of the colors on the color spectrum. Including blue light. Just as white, or sunlight, wakes you up and makes you alert, blue light does the same. As blue light enters your eyes, your brain decreases its melatonin production and increases your serotonin levels. The brain quite literally believes it’s daytime, making you physically less tired when you look at blue light before bed, and interrupting your melatonin production and 24-hour cycle.
According to frontiers.org, using your phone in and before bed increases your risk of insomnia by 59% and loss of around 24 minutes of sleep. If done every night, that’s around 168 minutes of sleep lost each week. Naturally, this loss of sleep throws off are circadian rhythms (24-hour cycle) and makes many tired during the day, especially teenagers. As teenagers need around 8 to 10 hours, around 2-3 more hours than adults. Screentime before bed can cause extreme exhaustion during the day and decreased performance.
But there is a way to limit screentime before bed. It is recommended you don’t look at technology or blue light around 30-60 minutes before bed. If truly difficult, slowly decrease your screen time in the evening every night. Buy books, or something visually appealing that does not require technology, and read or work on that in the time between turning your phone off and going to bed. Lack of blue light before sleep and doing something like reading or drawing allows your brain to exhaust itself and increase melatonin naturally, allowing you to follow a normal 24-hour cycle, and also allowing you to get an increased quality of sleep.
Sources
https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2025/03/31/hours-screen-use-after-bed-increases-insomnia-risk-frontiers-psychiatry
https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/screens-and-your-sleep-the-impact-of-nighttime-use
https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/why-it-is-time-to-ditch-the-phone-before-bed#:~:text=The%20blue%20light%20emitted%20by,wake%20up%20the%20next%20day.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-science-of-sleep-understanding-what-happens-when-you-sleep#:~:text=Though%20REM%20sleep%20was%20previously,and%20restorative%20phase%20of%20sleep.
https://solar-center.stanford.edu/sid/activities/GreenSun.html
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https://skapetze.com/en/blogs/news/different-light-colors-and-their-psychological-effect#:~:text=Blue%20or%20white%20light%20can,especially%20during%20long%20working%20hours.
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https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side#:~:text=Effects%20of%20blue%20light%20and%20sleep&text=The%20blue%20light%20suppressed%20melatonin,1.5%20hours).
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