By Spencer Inglett ’19
THE ROUNDUP
Sleep is one of the most important habits of humans, providing us with energy to endure our days and recharges us after a long one.
However, our generation’s continued indulgence of numerous mediums of technology has impeded our ability to get excellent sleep.
Because of this, detrimental technology should not be in bedrooms in order for people to be their best selves.
While there are arguments that technology is needed in bedrooms for sleep tracking and smart assistants, these things are superficial and are not entirely beneficial for sleep.
Having a good night’s rest is crucial for productivity in any field, and the introduction of technology before bed hampers the amount of quality sleep people get.
Additionally, there are studies that quantify the consequences of using tech in the bedroom.
According to Rasmussen College, while almost 95 percent of people use their cell phones or other types of technology before bed, many of them don’t understand the harmful effects.
This uptick is attributed mainly to both millennials and older generations, as the production of newer and better technologies affect all generations are guilty of these habits, regardless of age.
Sleep.org says that different types of technology before bed suppress melatonin, the hormone that controls our sleep cycle, along with keeping our brains active for longer periods of time.
Keeping our brains active for increased durations can be extremely bad to our health, as poor sleep can lead to increases in obesity, anxiety, depression and memory loss.
Similarly, the blue light of screens and devices interferes with the human body’s production of melatonin, making it much more difficult to fall asleep.
While certain features, such as Apple’s Night Shift, have been created to minimize our blue light intake at night, they do not entirely block it.
Devices that are charging and placed on the nightstand cause for increased temptation to use them, along with producing notifications throughout the night that could wake you up from your slumber.
Increasing workloads and hours of rigorous homework have caused less sleep for students, which makes the necessity for quality sleep that more important.
Restricting bedrooms to quiet places of solitude and slumber in a technology-obsessed would provide countless benefits and improve the quality of life.
