How to break bad bedtime phone habits
(WWBT) - If the last thing you do before going to sleep is to check your phone, that habit could be costing you.
More than half of people check their phones from bed every night, but it's a habit that could cost you not just sleep, but money too.
Braun Center researchers found 35 percent of people think about their phones first thing in the morning, followed by coffee, brushing their teeth and, finally, their members of their family.
That same study found 44 percent of millennials admit they often fall asleep holding their phones.
The reason why this matters is because doctors have found the artificial blue light emitted by your phone throws off your body's circadian rhythm, or internal clock, and that means it's more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Other research has shown the strongest indicator of a poor night's sleep was using social media 30 minutes before going to bed.
Research shows people tend to make quicker and riskier decisions when they're tired. In other words, you may regret tweeting or making a late-night scroll through Facebook the next morning.
All of that plays a part in why American now spend more than $41 billion a year on sleep aids.
Sleep experts recommend charging your phone in another room to remove the temptation to look at it before going to sleep. And reading a book rather than an e-book before bed will eliminate the blue light issue.
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