By Kellie Scott, ABC Lifestyle
While screen time in bed isn't always a bad thing, an expert says missing out on vital sleep because of it can be. (file image) Photo: 123rf
The time between me going to bed and attempting to fall sleep is usually about half an hour.
I've become somewhat reliant on my phone to become sleepy, watching ASMR videos on YouTube to clear my mind and relax.
You might find yourself doomscrolling, playing games, or taking the chance to reply to the 10 unread messages you've been ignoring all day.
Sleep displacement is the time between when you decide to go to bed and decide to go to sleep.
It's called shut-eye latency, and can be caused by using technology, explains Kate Bartel, a sleep researcher with Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.
While screen time in bed isn't always a bad thing, Bartel says missing out on vital sleep because of it can be.
"If you get really engaged [by the tech you are using in bed] and disregard the things around you, such as time or whether your body is saying 'I would be tired if you stopped using this device', you need to be aware of that."
Why we need sleep
I don't need to tell you that feeling tired makes everything harder, but we can all do with a reminder about how important sleep is to our health and wellbeing.
Joanna Waloszek, a research manager at Swinburne University with a special interest in adolescent sleep, says sleep is "critical to everything our body does".
"That includes our physical health, emotional and mental health, as well as cognition."
Without sleep, Waloszek says we can experience a range of short and long-term problems including poor memory, decreased mood and concentration, poorer reaction times, and physical health issues such as cardiovascular problems.
While how much sleep someone needs for optimum health will vary, adults can feel rested on anything from six to 10 hours a night.
We can stop blaming blue light
While previous research has suggested that the blue light from our screens, and the arousal from the content we consume, can negatively impact our ability to fall asleep, Bartel says newer evidence shows neither has a significant influence.
She says personality, age, and what we are watching on our screens are more likely to play a role.
"If you are the kind of person who can use their phone, and when they are tired, can put it down and try to sleep, then the bright light won't have too much impact on how long it takes you to fall asleep," Bartel says.
"But adolescents who are video gaming [for example], some of them will not take into account that they will be woken up at 7am, and they will just keep playing until after midnight."
Waloszek says it is understandable why we are so attached to our phones.
Much of the content we consume is designed to keep us engaged and we "get this little bit of a reward every time it pings," she says.
"And if you have a decrease in self-control, it's difficult to break that habit [of taking your phone to bed].
"And the more sleep deprived you are, then it's harder to have self-control. So it's a vicious cycle."
Bartel says the way tech disrupts our sleep during the night is also a big factor.
This includes notifications waking us, or looking at our phone with the intention to just to check the time, but getting lured into reading messages that have come through.
"It's normal to wake up overnight, but not to wake up and stay awake," Bartel says.
Tech in bed is not always a bad thing
Watching ASMR videos helps me to fall sleep, and while building a reliance on my screen to drift off doesn't feel healthy, Bartel says it's not all bad.
"There are apps, YouTube videos that have relaxing [content]," she says.
"The other thing is, what are people going to be doing if not using tech?
"If you are ruminating and worrying, that's definitely not going to be helpful to falling asleep, and might not be helpful for mood and next day functioning."
She says using tech as a sleep aid or as a distraction is "not necessarily a bad thing", although "ideally you want people to learn some other techniques to manage the emotions and thoughts they have during the day".
Waloszek says many people use tech in the evening for emotional regulation, and says using it to reach out to friends to talk about your worries, or to meditate, for example, can be helpful.
The concern is how these habits of using technology at bedtime may impact our sleep long-term, she says.
Tips for avoiding sleep displacement due to tech
Waloszek says avoiding digital tech use close to bedtime is the most ideal strategy to reduce sleep displacement.
If that's not realistic, her tips for avoiding sleep displacement, alongside those from Bartel, include:
- Setting yourself a timer to turn off your phone after using it for a certain amount of time
- Choosing screen time that doesn't encourage you to keep watching or playing
- Turning your phone on silent or airplane mode when you choose to go to sleep
- Getting a physical alarm clock so you don't need to check your phone for the time
- Putting your phone away from your bedside table
- Getting outside during the day to be exposed to bright light at other times than bedtime
- Learning to listen to your sleepy cues, such as yawning and rubbing eyes
- Addressing other things that might be impacting your ability to fall asleep, such as anxiety.
Bartel says to be kind to yourself when trying to reduce your phone use in bed.
"If you are changing any habit, everything will feel a bit different for the first few nights."
If sleep problems are affecting your life, you should talk to your GP to help find a solution.
- ABC