We prepare our bodies for sleep. We change clothes, brush our teeth, switch off the lights and get into bed. Then we pick up the phone and wake the brain all over again.
Phones, tablets, computers and television are among the worst companions before bedtime. Their light can interfere with the body’s natural preparation for sleep. More importantly, what we consume keeps the mind stimulated. News, messages, videos, social media and endless scrolling tell the brain to remain alert when it should be slowing down.
The result is predictable. We take longer to fall asleep, sleep quality can suffer, and we may wake up less refreshed. Repeated poor sleep eventually affects concentration, mood, energy and overall health.
Try something wonderfully old-fashioned instead.
Put away electronic gadgets well before bedtime. Turn off the television. Lower the lights. Pick up a regular printed book and read slowly. Choose something pleasant, not something so exciting that you cannot put it down.
Soon you may notice the words becoming blurry. You reread the same paragraph. Your eyelids become heavy. The book starts slipping from your hands.
That is natural sleepiness arriving without a fight.
Close the book. Switch off the light. Sleep.
Technology has improved countless parts of our lives. Bedtime does not necessarily have to be one of them.
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