Electronics & Sleep Apnea: How Your Cellphone Can Affect Your Quality of Rest

Have you gotten in the habit of scrolling through your social media before bed on your cellphone? You’re not the only one if you do! In fact, it’s estimated that two out of every three people spend most of their nights viewing a screen before falling asleep. If you’re already having difficulty sleeping due to chronic conditions like sleep apnea, your electronics may be exasperating the effects. Read on to learn more about how viewing your cellphone before bed can affect your quality of rest by making your sleep apnea symptoms worse.

Does Using Your Cellphone Before Bed Affect Your Sleep?

In healthy adults, the body is tuned to a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle that encourages you to wake when the sun rises by producing a hormone called cortisol, and go to sleep when the sun sets by producing a hormone called melatonin.

Viewing devices that are bright and emit blue light before you go to sleep can keep you up by signaling the brain to produce less melatonin. This is because blue light is actually emitted by the sun, as well as other colors of the visible light spectrum. As a result, looking at your cellphone for extended periods of time before bed can make it more difficult to get quality rest.

The Connection Between Sleep Apnea & Electronic Use

Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders in the nation, estimated to impact millions of people and even increase the risk of developing serious medical problems, like strokes and heart attacks. If you have this disorder, whether it’s diagnosed or undiagnosed, and you’re also viewing your cellphone screen for extended periods of time before bed, your quality of rest could be incredibly poor. As a result, you may find yourself chronically fatigued and unable to focus at work.

Tips for Getting a Better Night’s Rest

There are several ways you can improve your quality of rest, especially if you’re in the habit of hopping on social media before bed. These include:

• If you have sleep apnea or are showing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, seek out a diagnosis and find a treatment plan that fits your needs.
• Avoid using the phone or any other device with a screen at least 30 minutes before bed.
• If using your phone at night, put it on nighttime mode to minimize blue light exposure.
• Adjust the lighting in your bedroom to warm lighting.

If you have any questions or become concerned about your sleeping habits, you can reach out to your local sleep dentist in Owings Mills or sleep physician to receive testing and learn more about your treatment options.

About the Author

Dr. Jacob Milner is a highly experienced sleep dentist committed to helping his patients achieve the quality, healing rest they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With years of experience and training under his belt, he’s proud to offer a more comfortable, less noisy treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea, called oral appliance therapy. To learn more about this treatment and whether you qualify, visit Dolfield Dental of Owing Mills’ website or call 410-390-0277.