For a majority of people out there, the first thing they look at in the morning and last thing they look at before they close their eyes at night are the same—either their smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop. Yes, technology is now just as important to the masses as breathing, eating and even relationships. And in a recently published study, it looks like sleep is being outweighed by technology lovers’ favorite devices as well.
The Sydney University, located in the land down under known as Australia, is claiming that its citizens are peacefully counting sheep and are instead suffering much more from disturbed sleep patterns in their lives these days – and technology is to blame.
This is because most products currently on the market can be utilized anywhere with a reliable wireless connection in place so people are continuously transitioning their relaxation area (a.k.a their bedroom) into a mobile office that is full of social media features and an overwhelming amount of information on nearly any topic.
"People are turning their bedrooms into home theatres and offices instead of a place for sleep and the three-letter word," Sleep Physician Associate Professor Brendon Yee said in a recent article discussing findings of the published reported.
Image via Orchard Maple Family Dental Practice
Technology, however, is just one element found to be the cause of the rapidly diminishing amount of sleep our bodies are receiving. A high amount of hours spent on the clock and longer commute times are also being attributed to the less than average amount of quality sleep sessions gained.
So what are some of the negative results that can be seen health wise when not letting your body fully rest and recharge every night? Symptoms range from increased obesity to high blood pressure, psychiatric disorders and even cardiovascular disease according to researchers.
In order to replenish your own personal temple (your body) and your mind, here are some helpful tips to leverage when technology begins to take over your life.
1. Have a set time that you will put down all devices for the night
If you pick a time of the night, say for instance 10 p.m. where everything that isn’t living or breathing must be powered off, you will never again have to worry about staying up all hours reading that updated, real-time report from Perez Hilton.
2. Get in your technology fix beforehand
If you know that you are the type of person that simply won’t be able to close your eyes until you check your work e-mail one more time, ensure you do just that way before your bedtime and then shut it off to avoid doing so again in a couple of minutes.
3. If you are really strong, then try to avoid bringing any type of technology ridden gadget into your bedroom all together
For peace of mind, attempt to keep the place you lay your head at night completely separate from the area which houses your iPhone (News - Alert), iPod, iPad, house phone, television, cell phone and Kindle. It will do a lot of good in getting your your precious and much needed z’s.