Episode 12

Screen Screen Screen

A blessing and a curse - could the technological saving grace of connectivity in the 21st century, relied on so much more during the COVID-19 pandemic also be exacerbating the very anxiety, depression, insomnia, and lost productivity we’ve been trying to eradicate through its use?

In this episode I discuss the issues of screen time and its influences on your sleep and the dilemma posed by society relying more and more on screens.

All screen use at night can affect sleep, but handheld screens - with the brighter frequencies of light, closer proximity to your eyes, and ease of portability - appear to impact sleep even more than television screens. 

From infants and toddlers, to teenagers, to young adults, to older adults - we all are susceptible to the negative impacts of screen use on sleep. Screen use is associated with social jet lag, insomnia, delayed time to fall asleep, worse sleep quality, less REM sleep, less total sleep time, difficulty waking up in the morning, daytime fatigue and sleepiness, increased weight gain...

How are you supposed to deal with this? Virtual school, working from home, trying to stay socially connected - you are in a difficult position trying to balance all these forces in your life. Maintaining healthy sleep practices and wake habits, especially limiting the use of screens closer to intended sleep time will guard you against any unintended consequences of screen use.