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Heard about this topic from a friend and thought I'd share with some of the fellow boxers or people just looking to get a normal sleeping schedule that may be slightly hindered. I thought lying down and letting the TV nullify myself to sleep, but this article may suggest otherwise.
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Monday, September 10, 2007
Electronic Insomnia: The Information SuperHighway and Sleep
It should come as no surprise that staring at a computer screen and enthusiastically typing or surfing not only can steal precious time you should be banking in deep sleep, but the actual light emanating from the screen can also disrupt your body's ability to prepare for sleep and literally wind down.
The same holds true for avid television watchers whose late-night shows can be stimulating and sleep-depriving. Numerous survey findings have shown that people who spend more pre-bedtime hours using the Internet or watching television are more likely to report that they don't get enough sleep, even though they sleep almost as long as people who spend fewer pre-bedtime hours in front of a computer or television screen.
In a study written up in the industry journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms just last month, researchers confirmed this finding and took it a step further by saying that longer electronic media use before sleep triggers a self-perception of insufficient sleep.
Translation: Internet and TV use prior to bed may have less to do with how long you sleep at night and more to do with how much sleep you really need and the quality of that sleep.
When people ask me for the "secrets" to a good night's sleep -- and avoiding insomnia -- I often start by explaining how to have a Power Down hour prior to bedtime. This is when you relax and remove yourself from the tasks and chores of everyday living that can keep you wired and awake. No house cleaning. No kitchen duties. No work. Think warm bath. Think light reading.
But if you asked for just a single secret tip to follow that's definitive and could pretty much guarantee a restful night's sleep, it would be this: avoid the Internet 30 minutes before bedtime.
Which begs the question: do people who use the Internet or watch TV before bedtime need more sleep because of this habit? Or do they only report that they didn't get sufficient sleep because 1) they likely did have trouble falling asleep with images from the TV and Internet fresh in mind, and 2) they didn't experience as restful sleep had they avoided all that stimulating content right before bed (and they probably would have logged one more cycle of sleep).
I really don't know what the answer is to that last one, but I do know that if you are having problems sleeping the chances are low you are going to find the answer sitting 12 inches from a computer screen.
And while I'm making this suggestion, let me add one more: turn off the cell phone!
Last week, Time magazine reported on three new papers in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Sleep that address the question of sleeplessness. Some of the studies' findings were very familiar: teens who don't sleep enough can partly blame their cellphone use; and adults can blame work.
The silver lining: both of these sleep thieves can be tamed if you make an effort. Power down those cellphones when you power down your body in prep for bedtime. (But I'm not sure how imposing curfews on your kids' cell phones will go over. Good luck with that.)
Dr. Breus"
Link:
http://blogs.webmd.com/sleep-disorde...formation.html
PS: I searched for similar threads/posts but didn't find anything. Apologies if this is a repost, or a similar post has been made!
"
Monday, September 10, 2007
Electronic Insomnia: The Information SuperHighway and Sleep
It should come as no surprise that staring at a computer screen and enthusiastically typing or surfing not only can steal precious time you should be banking in deep sleep, but the actual light emanating from the screen can also disrupt your body's ability to prepare for sleep and literally wind down.
The same holds true for avid television watchers whose late-night shows can be stimulating and sleep-depriving. Numerous survey findings have shown that people who spend more pre-bedtime hours using the Internet or watching television are more likely to report that they don't get enough sleep, even though they sleep almost as long as people who spend fewer pre-bedtime hours in front of a computer or television screen.
In a study written up in the industry journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms just last month, researchers confirmed this finding and took it a step further by saying that longer electronic media use before sleep triggers a self-perception of insufficient sleep.
Translation: Internet and TV use prior to bed may have less to do with how long you sleep at night and more to do with how much sleep you really need and the quality of that sleep.
When people ask me for the "secrets" to a good night's sleep -- and avoiding insomnia -- I often start by explaining how to have a Power Down hour prior to bedtime. This is when you relax and remove yourself from the tasks and chores of everyday living that can keep you wired and awake. No house cleaning. No kitchen duties. No work. Think warm bath. Think light reading.
But if you asked for just a single secret tip to follow that's definitive and could pretty much guarantee a restful night's sleep, it would be this: avoid the Internet 30 minutes before bedtime.
Which begs the question: do people who use the Internet or watch TV before bedtime need more sleep because of this habit? Or do they only report that they didn't get sufficient sleep because 1) they likely did have trouble falling asleep with images from the TV and Internet fresh in mind, and 2) they didn't experience as restful sleep had they avoided all that stimulating content right before bed (and they probably would have logged one more cycle of sleep).
I really don't know what the answer is to that last one, but I do know that if you are having problems sleeping the chances are low you are going to find the answer sitting 12 inches from a computer screen.
And while I'm making this suggestion, let me add one more: turn off the cell phone!
Last week, Time magazine reported on three new papers in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Sleep that address the question of sleeplessness. Some of the studies' findings were very familiar: teens who don't sleep enough can partly blame their cellphone use; and adults can blame work.
The silver lining: both of these sleep thieves can be tamed if you make an effort. Power down those cellphones when you power down your body in prep for bedtime. (But I'm not sure how imposing curfews on your kids' cell phones will go over. Good luck with that.)
Dr. Breus"
Link:
http://blogs.webmd.com/sleep-disorde...formation.html
PS: I searched for similar threads/posts but didn't find anything. Apologies if this is a repost, or a similar post has been made!