It’s not uncommon to see people snooze off while using their phones at night. You know, when you’re trying to reply waiting for messages on WhatsApp or check out tags on Facebook after a stressful day, and then you doze off without putting your phone away. But sleeping with your phone under your pillow or beside you on the bed is not a healthy practice. It poses some risks you will find out later in this article. Even if you need to set alarms on your phone, you still need to put it at a considerable distance away from you, just to ensure safety.
Here are a few hazards with sleeping with your phone.
- It Could Set Your Pillow or Bed on Fire.
If you put your phone under your pillow or somewhere that’s hot, it could lead to overheating, especially if the phone is on, and there’s a chance the battery could explode or melt. You might wake up to a smoking pillow or mattress, and if not contained could lead to serious injuries. A major cause of fires is using incompatible battery accessories on your device or fake ones. Ensure you purchase original accessories from certified stores. Also, do not leave your phone charging all night while it’s on your bed. Unplug your phone once the battery is full.
- It Could Disrupt Sleep Cycle
Cellphone, tablets, TVs, and other gadgets with LED screens emit blue light, which in itself is not harmful, but at night it can keep us awake by impeding the production of the sleep-inducing hormone,
Melatonin. This may be because the blue light emits wavelengths similar to daylight, which could make our body think it’s daytime, even when it’s night. This can lead to reduced quality of our sleep and the amount of deep sleep, which will make us more tired in the morning.
So, it’s best to stop using electronic gadgets at least two hours before bedtime as recommended by experts. If you really have to use your phone, get a
blue light filter app or if your phone or PC has an inbuilt blue light filter (
Nightlight for Windows, and
Night Shift for Mac), you can set it to turn on automatically at night.
- Leaving your phone beside you can also increase anxiety levels. There’s a constant need to wake up at night and check notifications, a new mail, a mention on Twitter, your post got recommended on Medium, or even an emergency call, we are always alert. Such behaviour could have consequences like stress, insomnia, poor concentration, headaches, and of course lesser sleep. But switching off your phone or having it on silent will help you sleep peacefully all night.
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This article was first published on 26th December 2017
tobenna-ezike
Tobenna is a writer, programmer and musician who is passionate about God, tech, and music. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook by clicking the icons below.
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