The Field of Somnotech: The Impacts of Technology on Sleep
Most people are aware of the fact that brains function better on sleep. Despite the increasingly wide push for healthy sleep cycles and schedules, people live lives designed by sleep inhibiting devices. From smartphones and tablets to televisions and computers, we find ourselves constantly surrounded by artificial lights. Consistent usage of these devices, especially at night, interfere with our body’s natural sleep-wake cycles and have incredibly negative effects on our quality of sleep.
Our bodies regulate sleep via the homeostatic process of circadian rhythms, a 24-hour internal clock in our brain that modulates our levels of alertness, hunger, and sleepiness by responding to changes in light and dark from our ever-changing environment. A part of our brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), generates these circadian rhythms and dictates when to initiate sleep through the production of melatonin, the endogenous hormone that causes us to feel sleepy and facilitates other nighttime physiological functions. Any disruption in the release of melatonin can lead to poor sleep quality and insomnia.
Some melatonin release irregularities and lower sleep quality may not sound terribly bad. Frankly, most working professionals and students — ourselves included — would say that they have gotten by on a couple hours of sleep before.
This is not a good thing nor should it be something to be proud of. Poor sleep quality has extremely detrimental consequences not only to our energy and performance the following day, but also to our moods, immune system, and overall physical well-being in the long run — and this is exacerbated even further by continuous use of technology. Although the light that illuminates from our electronic devices seemingly appears white in color, they actually emit high-frequency blue light — mimicking sunlight — which increases our alertness and is a potent suppressor of melatonin. Studies have shown that using blue light at night alters sleep architecture by reducing the time spent in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and Slow Wave Sleep (SWS). These stages of sleep are extremely important for mental and physical health, as decreased REM sleep and SWS negatively impacts memory and mood. REM sleep is particularly vital for cognitive skills including visual skill memory…
