Teenage sleep deprivation comes from...screens

Tsutarja

Tsutarja

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    https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/10/1...ived-and-screens-are-why-study-suggests-11989

    An interesting read, to say the least. Of course I'm not surprised on this matter, but hadn't sleep deprivation in teens been a thing even before smartphones, let alone computers?

    What are your thoughts on this? Do you think screens are solely to blame for why teenage sleep deprivation has gone up, or what could other factors be?
     
    I just don't really want to sleep and I'm an insomniac, I'm ok with 4-5 hrs a night because that's how much I'm able to get sleeping from 11 pm - 6 am
    And the people who basically say we should stop using our phones really really annoy me :/
     
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    TheUncreativeSawsbuckFan said:
    I just don't really want to sleep and I'm an insomniac, I'm ok with 4-5 hrs a night because that's how much I'm able to get sleeping from 11 pm - 6 am
    And the people who basically say we should stop using our phones really really annoy me :/
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    Although insomnia is a natural condition with many individuals, it's not necessarily the healthiest of conditions.

    Also, where is it said that people should stop using their phones? What is meant by that is that one shouldn't be staring at a screen prior to bedtime, and that's where the unhealthy part comes in too.
     
    Tsutarja said:
    Although insomnia is a natural condition with many individuals, it's not necessarily the healthiest of conditions.

    Also, where is it said that people should stop using their phones? What is meant by that is that one shouldn't be staring at a screen prior to bedtime, and that's where the unhealthy part comes in too.
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    Which is basically not using it at all
     
    TheUncreativeSawsbuckFan said:
    Idk, even I realize that I'm not making any sense but we should be allowed to use our phones before bed if we want to
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    No one's stopping you from doing such, but if you read the article above you can see the findings of the study and perhaps see that as a warning sign.

    And believe me, I use my phone sometimes before bed as well.
     
    This isn't the only reason but it's definitely one of them. It's easy to lose track of time on a phone before going to sleep. There's an endless supply of stuff to look at and there is always something to type about.
     
    TheUncreativeSawsbuckFan said:
    Idk, even I realize that I'm not making any sense but we should be allowed to use our phones before bed if we want to
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    Your screen light on your phone or computer simulates sunlight, which makes your body believe it is daytime. It will take longer for your body to believe it is nighttime once you finally turn the lights out, and as a result, you it will take longer for you to fall asleep. So you really shouldn't use your phone before going to bed.

    I try to limit my screen time right before bed, but its unavoidable for me. I just dont look at my phone in bed.
     
    BadSheep said:
    Your screen light on your phone or computer simulates sunlight, which makes your body believe it is daytime. It will take longer for your body to believe it is nighttime once you finally turn the lights out, and as a result, you it will take longer for you to fall asleep. So you really shouldn't use your phone before going to bed.

    I try to limit my screen time right before bed, but its unavoidable for me. I just dont look at my phone in bed.
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    I usually fall asleep within 15 minutes, but that's with meds that actually make me sleep
     
    I've never had such problem, the only days I felt a little "weak" it was because the day before I had some heavy workload at work/school or I went to sleep really late, otherwise I was fine. Maybe it depends on the person?
    By the way there are apps or features that allow you to limit this and they do this by red-shifting the screen near bedtime.
     
    As well as blue light exposure affecting sleepiness, I think 'notification anxiety' (can't think of a better word) - when you message someone and wait for the person to reply, might keep you awake.

    I avoid using my phone in the evenings and use my laptop - at least that way I can't take it up to my bed and leave my bed just for sleeping.
     
    Dter ic said:
    As well as blue light exposure affecting sleepiness
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    You are absolutely correct on blue light exposure, and that was something I had learned about earlier this year when getting my eyeglass prescription updated. I didn't even realize that screens emitted blue light at first, but I mean it does make sense as well in why it can be bad for your eyes.
     
    I mean obviously it can be a contributing factor, but the direct cause would more likely be increasing workloads, anxiety, and the fact that school starts too early. Sleepy teenagers at school has been an issue since before cell phones and computers were nascent.
     
    Keiran said:
    I mean obviously it can be a contributing factor, but the direct cause would more likely be increasing workloads, anxiety, and the fact that school starts too early. Sleepy teenagers at school has been an issue since before cell phones and computers were nascent.
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    Just a couple of weeks ago, my county's school district voted to swap the start times of elementary and high school effective for the next school year, with the basis on what you had described up above in terms of teenagers needing more sleep and the early start times. I hope many more districts in the nation follow suit, as well.
     
    I think everyone hit the points I was going to make. The artificial light mimics sunlight, so makes your brain feel awake. Catching up on social media before bed is a bad idea since you can fall into a vortex and lose track of time. Notification anxiety is definitely a thing. And then you're engaging your brain to read and understand multiple strings of information at once.

    As for teenage sleep deprivation, I think there's two types: academic and social. Depriving yourself of sleep because you had a busy day and no other time to study, or because you enjoy being social with friends after the sun goes down. I wonder if the sleep deprivation has different effects based on the reason behind it?
     
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