Sleep experts and virtually every other person in a room will tell you not to use your phone before bedtime. They’re right. Certain phones emit a blue light that suppresses melatonin, the hormone that regulates your wake-sleep cycle. The more you use your phone on the bed, the harder it is for you to sleep.
Whether it’s watching a video or checking your social media, browsing your phone during bedtime does two things that you are trying to avoid: makes you more alert and stimulates your brain. Those are not going to help if you’re trying to get a beauty sleep for a fresher-looking you the next day. And yes, health experts have backed up beauty sleep as the best way to take care of yourself.
Some technology, of course, makes you sleep better, longer, and faster. While you shouldn’t use your phone to check social media before bedtime, it has certain functions that will aid in making you understand what influences your ability to sleep better. You shouldn’t stay clear of technology. Rather, you have to use it according to the benefits it presents.
Dim and Silence Your Phone
Unless there’s an emergency call that you’re waiting for, put your phone on silent or vibrating mode. You can set the phone so that it only rings when certain people are calling. Use your phone’s brightness adjustment to put the screen on night mode. Some phones can automatically adjust to your environment and will put itself to night mode when it detects the amount of light in the room.
Use a Smart Bed
If there’s one thing you have to invest in, it’s your bed. A smart bed has comfort sleep systems that can control the temperature, climate, and pressure of the bed. Some also come with low-vibration settings to lull you to sleep. If you have a problem with sweating at night, a smart bed will also help cool your body and dry the mattress.
And in case you and your partner want different temperatures in the room, you can use a dual-zone device. This will keep your side of the bed at the temperature that you want while your partner can have his own choice, too. There’s no need to argue about who gets to set the temperature every night.
Download a Sleep App
A sleep app will track how much sleep you are getting every night. In a week, you’ll be able to understand what’s affecting your sleep. For example, you may find out that by going to bed every night at 10 PM, you’re able to sleep earlier. But when you go to bed past 11 PM, you may find it harder to go to sleep. Although there is no telling how accurate these numbers are, understanding your patterns will help you identify the problems and avoid such problems.
Play White Noise from Your Phone
White noise doesn’t only work on babies. It works on adults as well. White noise can be anything from the sound of the electric fan to the sound of waves landing on the shores. Over the course of 15 minutes, the sound will gradually decrease. The soothing sound will block out the background noise and rock anyone to sleep. Research showed that the sound of gentle ocean waves can put people to sleep 15% faster.
Use Sleep-inducing Light
There are devices that can emit a light show. The sleep-inducing light will begin with a reddish hue to represent a sunset. Slowly, this bright red will turn to orange before it slowly dims off. Coupled with white noise, this can send people to sleep faster than any other device. It also helps your brain relax faster so that you will wake up more refreshed than you have ever been.
Stay Active with Your Fitness Tracker
Make sure that your fitness tracker is programmed to make you do some activities especially in the afternoon. When you are feeling lethargic, increase your activities. Try not to reach for caffeinated drinks when it’s near your bedtime already. Doing physical activities during the day will help your bodies prepare better for sleep.
Medical experts said that beauty sleep can significantly reduce the chances of depression and anxiety. It can also make you more productive at work and any other activity you want to do during the day. And yes, it is called beauty sleep because it does make you feel more beautiful. A full eight-hour sleep will make your skin look younger, giving you a glow that no cosmetics can provide.
