Sleep & Screen time….Improving quality sleep in the modern digital age

Do you find yourself still plugged in to your digital devices at 9pm or later thinking just one more email, text or website to browse? As you get a reply, you know many of your friends/colleagues are online too and before you know it you don’t get to bed until after 11. But how are you sleeping these days? If the answer not great, it may be helpful to understand more about our sleep patterns and create new routines to enhance sleep.

Firstly light affects how much melatonin your body produces. Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland a small gland in the brain. Melatonin helps control your sleep and wake cycles. Normally, melatonin levels begin to rise in the mid- to late evening, remain high for most of the night, and then drop in the early morning hours. But bright blue light from your screen at night can trick the body to think it’s not night time, therefore keeping you awake later. Secondly because you are still busy mentally, your brain and arousal levels are not naturally reducing at night to allow your body to relax and ready itself for a deeper sleep.

So time to prioritise your sleep and your health by setting some basic digital device rules for you and your family…….
1. Unplug at least one hour but preferably two hours before bed.
2. Dim the screen on your electronic device in the evening.
3. Store & use your technology in rooms other than the bedroom this includes televisions.
4. Use an alarm clock rather than your smartphone or tablet as a wakeup device.

Digital devices are just one of many factors that affect sleep. If you are having ongoing trouble with sleeping well you may benefit from further assessment of the factors influencing your own sleep patterns.
Tea Retreats

Each month, Tea Retreats will be bringing you an article on Health and Wellbeing Tea Retreats combines the skills and experience of Sarah Percy, Registered Dietitian and Sarah Donaldson, Clinical Psychologist to provide a comprehensive approach to health and wellbeing. The “Tea” in Tea Retreats stands for Think, Eat, Act – we believe a positive mindset, good nutrition and keeping active, are 3 crucial areas in our life which are essential for good health. If you need some help getting your health sorted please get in touch, we’d love to help. www.tea-retreats.co.nz