Social Media and Cellphone Stress Mean We Should be Sleeping More

We've always been told that eight hours a night was the ideal amount of sleep to function properly. Now, thanks to stress, science says we need more. 

SleepSpace founder, Daniel Gartenberg, PhD, adjunct assistant profressor at Biobehavioral Health at Penn State says that many humans actually need to be in bed eight in a half hours in order to get that 8 hours of sleep that you need. And many of us (about 10% of the population), need to spend even more time in bed than 8.5 hours to get the sleep that us needed for your body to be health. 

We used to sleep more afterall, but all the technology is hurting our sleep, with sleep amount down about an hour on average since the 50's. And now humans average about seven hours of sleep, despite the gigabytes of information that we are now consuming.

It doesn't add up... Unless you get enough sleep. 

With cellphones and social media, our brains are always a little bit on; our fight or flight response is always just a little bit activated. So there is this low- level anxiety that you may not even notice, but its there and you have to train yourself out of it to get the best sleep you can. 

In "Sorry I'm Late: Social Media and Cell Phone Stress Means Less Sleeping" published on Yahoo Lifestyle.

The article talks about how our addiction to social media and smartphones is having a negative impact on our sleep. According to the author, more than half of Americans have trouble sleeping due to stress and anxiety caused by social media and cell phones.

The article cites several studies that suggest a link between social media use and poor sleep quality. One study found that individuals who spent more time on social media were more likely to have poor sleep quality and to feel tired during the day. Another study found that those who checked their phones before bed were more likely to have trouble sleeping.

The author suggests that the blue light emitted by smartphones and other electronic devices is a major contributor to poor sleep quality. Blue light can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. Additionally, social media and cell phones can cause stress and anxiety, which can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.

The article concludes by offering several tips for reducing the negative impact of social media and cell phones on sleep. These tips include setting boundaries for social media use, turning off electronic devices before bed, and practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing.

Overall, the article highlights an important issue facing many people today. Our addiction to social media and smartphones is having a negative impact on our sleep and overall health. It is important for individuals to be aware of these issues and to take steps to reduce their exposure to electronic devices before bed. By doing so, we can improve our sleep quality and overall well-being.