Are you addicted to your cell phone? If yes, a new study says that addiction could be the reason you're not sleeping well. The study, from Frontiers in Psychiatry, found those who had a high use of their cell phones also had poor sleep quality.
Not a surprising fact based on previous studies that found the overuse of smartphones at night is associated with trouble falling asleep. Researchers say the number one rule is "no computers, cell phones and PDA's in bed at least one hour before bedtime. They say using the smartphone close to bedtime disturbs the body's normal sleep-and-wake clock. And that the LED spectrum light from the phone suppresses melatonin levels - your sleep hormone.
The study also found that the later one uses the smartphone is closely related to smartphone addiction. The study showed that risk is increased if using the cell phone after 1 a.m. for example.
In case you didn't know, cellphone addiction is a real thing. It's also known as nomophobia -- which stands for No MObile PHOne phoBIA. In more modern terms, NOMOPHO is the fear of missing out on using your cell phone.
If you or someone close to you have symptoms of smartphone or internet addiction, take this quiz to find out.
**NOTE** Authors of the study say there are limitations to it. Smartphone addiction has not been firmly established as a focus of clinical concern.
5 Tips To Avoid Cellphone Addiction
- Schedule timeouts. First, turn off your phone at certain times of the day, such as when you're attending meetings, having dinner, playing with your kids and of course, driving.
- Ban apps from mobile devices. Remove social media apps, like Facebook and Twitter, from your phone, and only check in from your laptop. Try to wean yourself to 15-minute intervals at set times of the day when it won't affect work or family life.
- Go gray scale. Experts suggest going black and white. Pretty colors are engaging, while gray is boring.
- Substitute. Try to replace your smart device time with healthier activities such as meditating or interacting with real people.
- Improve sleep. Don't bring your cellphone and its harmful blue light to bed. Use an old-fashioned alarm to wake you.
