Cellphone and Insomnia

Much is said about the risks of the Internet and the dangers of excessive use of technology. But in addition to psychological effects, excessive cellphone use can also have physiological consequences, such as orthopedic problems and repetitive strain injuries, and interfere with another essential aspect of our health: sleep.

Various studies have shown that cellphones and tablets can interfere with a person’s biological clock. Artificial light from their screens mimics daylight and can reduce the production of melatonin, an important hormone for controlling sleep cycles.

Moreover, activities that require higher engagement and attention, such as responding to work emails or interacting on social media, can keep the mind active, raising stress and anxiety levels.

In the short term, sleep deprivation can cause various symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, and drowsiness. Over time, it is linked to the development of serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression.

To reduce this problem, avoid using cellphones and tablets at least one hour before bedtime. Enabling the blue light filter, available on some devices, can also help protect your eyes and mind from the harmful effects of artificial light on the human biological clock.

On Android devices, the blue light filter is generally found in Settings > Display. The specific name of the feature will depend on the manufacturer and may be "Blue light filter," "Reading mode," "Night mode," or similar. If you can't find the option, check the manufacturer's website to see if the feature is available. If not, you can download apps that provide this function.

On iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices, this feature is called "Night Shift". To enable it, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. You can set a schedule and adjust the color temperature.

If these adjustments don’t solve your issue, it may be a good idea to see a specialist to get to the bottom of the problem.

This topic was proposed during the Hackathon organized at the 12th Internet Forum in Brazil, which took place in Natal (RN) - https://forumdainternet.cgi.br/2022/ (Portuguese only).

It was developed by Érika Gomes, Gian França, Jesyca Dayany, Lorena Souza, and Miguel Neto.

Video Description

In the first scene, a young man lies in bed using his cellphone. A clock beside him shows the passing hours. Icons in the background suggest he is browsing and interacting on social media. The phrase "Using your cellphone before sleeping" appears above him.

The scene continues to the next frame, completing the phrase, which now reads: "Using your cellphone before sleeping can cause insomnia!" The young man tries to sleep, mentally counting sheep, but struggles to fall asleep.

In the third scene, the phrase "Brightness interferes with the sleep cycle" appears at the top of the video. In the center of the video, a hand holds a cellphone, which is illuminated, and this blue light gradually increases, covering the entire screen.

In the fourth and final scene, the text "Disconnect one hour before and sleep better!" appears. The young man is now asleep on the bed, and a thought bubble suggests that he is dreaming of the night sky and twinkling stars.