Smart Devices, Mental Health And Lack Of Sleep

The importance to do a study on sleep and mobile devices is to look at the long term effects of LED smart devices on sleep, physical and mental health. Is there a need for further funding for research, intervention programs and/or medical disorders related to sleep deprivation. What can we do to implement change? Do digital media devices affect sleep duration and mental wellbeing? I think these are questions that need to be answered. Many Australians; and people globally are not getting enough sleep. The short term effects are moodiness, poorer performance, accidents, fatigue and sleepiness during the day. Research shows nightly use of mobiles and smart devices has a long term issues; such as poorer sleep quality and later bedtimes you’re watching more advertising and creating poorer eating habits, risk of obesity, risk of further health issues and can lead to mental health issues;- such as sleeping disorders, depression and anxiety. Sleep provides the rejuvenation of cells in our bodies, it helps promote mental health, wellness and recovery. With insufficient sleep we become lethargic the next day, resulting in poorer mood swings, obesity, it’s a causative to poorer mental and physical health and performance whether at work, play or school. With limited sleep our cognitive ability can be diminished.

In Australia according to ‘Bedtime Reading’ “4 out of 10 Australians” are not getting enough sleep. There are many causes of sleep disturbance such as increased working hours, stresses, financial commitments, streaming movies, social media, social commitments, alcohol, internet, noise and light. There is evidence and concerns that using digital devices such as mobile phones are inhibiting and reducing sleep; especially in young adults and children. They feel that they must be available twenty-four hours a day. As children, it has been researched that easy accessibility to digital devices can impair sleep duration and time(s) to fall asleep. Most studies have been done on younger children and emerging adults. The biggest concern is that it has not been investigated in children the nighttime rituals prior to bed and bedtime routines in depth in children until emerging adults could this be affecting the delay on sleeping or the devices. Children between the ages of six to thirteen according to the National Sleep foundation require minimum of 9 hours and up to eleven hours per night on average. The National sleep foundation suggest that teenagers get approximately eight to ten hours sleep each night compared with young adults aged between eighteen-twenty five get slightly less sleep time of seven to nine hours sleep. With mobile phones and digital devices, they encroach on the Childs’ ability to get enough sleep; and are predominantly used at night. Advertisements in online games have an arousal effect on the child and with fast food advertisements can increase the desire for unhealthy eating and obesity from the sedentary behaviors of smart phone prior to sleep.

As we become adults our social circles grow, and the influence of social media expands. Therefore, the questions need to be asked is – is its smart phones and social media devices that cause sleep quality and duration issues? Or our social commitments, aging and changing of sleep routines resulting in insufficient sleep? Children’s brains are still developing and can be more sensitive to noise and light interrupting their sleep; and hormones such a melatonin which makes us feel sleepy. The blue lights from electronic devices have been suspected of contributing to later sleep times and the belated feeling of tiredness/sleepiness. Instead of following our biological Circadian rhythm, Australians set their sleep cycles to social commitments such as work, school, social activities and engagements. We are not prioritizing sleep and following our natural body clocks. There are many studies that support the blue light plays a large part at night in delaying onset of sleepiness. Sleep quality can impair any person at any age. It affects our ability to concentrate throughout the day, in adolescent/teenage years it affects our mental health and can acerbate depression, stress and anxiety. Mood swings are common during teenage years but are amplified through sleep disturbance and there is recorded higher risk of suicidal idealization. Younger children do not have the development and resources to inhibit their behavior. Parents generally monitor their media use and put in restrictions on bedtimes. As we develop, we mature and have self-regulation. Younger children are more excitable and susceptible to stimuli, outside influences and marketing. Poor sleeping habits are formed in childhood and can carry on into adults’ lives.

With young children the use of mobile devices and media prior to bed generally was reported to have effects on ability to fall asleep. Children documented using digital devices have symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression in comparison to children whom did not use digital devices prior to bedtime. What was not recorded or studied is what media the children were watching, games, data used and if these children prior to the study had a history of mental health issues, symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Use of media devices has been suggested to contribute to the increase in mental health, depression, stress, anxiety and obesity in the younger generation; especially during teenage years and influxes of hormones. Social acceptance and being in the loop have become more of a priority than our sleep. More so, in young adults and teenagers its accepted is more important to fit in than getting enough sleep. The lack of sleep is impacting adolescence mental health and wellbeing creating stress and depression. Social media depending on the person can have an addictive effect. As we get older and form poorer sleeping patterns it is suggested that we use social media and digital devices because we cannot sleep. As adult’s alcohol can affects our sleeping, light and noise, having rooms to hot or cold also factor into poorer sleep. Our sleep is interrupted notifications to emails, media sites with posts and other social media.

I agree with Tavernier & Willoughby about our sleep changes throughout our lives. Influences on sleep can be external pressures, stress, changing working and studying hours. Also, as we age, we require less sleep. With nearly all articles mental health and wellbeing was affected by sleep. Not all researchers agree that there is a correlation to mental health digital devices and sleep. Taverneir & Willoughby (2013) suggest that as we age and have poorer sleep cycles due to environmental factors we reach out for Media and digital devices to help sleep and stay in touch. With the research done, digital devices and mobile phones do affect our sleep times, quality and mental health. Mobile devices and staying in the loop create stress and can lead to depression and anxiety; it also increases our digital media use at/and during the night. Scientifically the blue light impedes the release of melatonin delaying the feeling of fatigue and sleep. More focus needs to be done on our routines and reducing digital devices prior to bed and in the bedroom themselves. Further education is required preferably at an early age in schools and home for promoting healthy sleeping habits and hygiene. More funding needs to be directed into education of sleep disorders to improve our sleep and mental wellness for our future generations an economy. More long term studies need to be done on the types of data combined with digital media devices on sleep cycles.

References

1. Bedtime Reading-Parliament of Australia. (2019). Retrieved 31 August 2019, from https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Health_Aged_Care_and_Sport/SleepHealthAwareness/Repot
2. Bowler, J., & Bourke,P. (2018). Facebook use and sleep quality: Light interacts with socially induces alertness. British Journal of Psychology, 110 (3), 519-529. doi:10.1111/bjop.12351
3. Chahal, H., Fung, C., Kuhle, S., & Veugeers, P. (2012). Availability and night-time use of Electronic entertainment and communication devices are associated with short sleep Duration and obesity among Canadian children. Pediatric Obesity, 8(1), 42-51. doi: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00085.x
4. Harwood, J., Dooley, J., Scott, A., & Joiner, R. (2014). Constantly connected – The effects of smart-devices on mental health. Computers In Human Behavior, 34, 267-272. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.02.006
5. Vichealth (2018). Sleep and mental well-being: exploring the links. Retrieved 14 September 2019, from https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/news/special-reports/sleep-and-mental-well-being-exploring-the-links.html
6. Mei, X., Hu, Z., Zhou, D., Zhou, Q., Li, X., Wang, X., & Jing, P. (2019). Sleep patterns, mobile phone use and psychological symptoms among adolescents in coastal developed city of China: an exploratory cross-sectional study. Sleep And Biological Rhythms, 17(2), 233-241. doi: 10.1007/s41105-019-00208-1
7. National Sleep Foundation Recommends New Sleep Times | National Sleep Foundation. (2019). Retrieved 8 September 2019, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times
8. Orzech, K., Grandner, M., Roane, B., & Carskadon, M. (2016). Digital media use in the 2 h before bedtime is associated with sleep variables in university students. Computers In Human Behavior, 55, Part A, 43-50. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.08.049
9. Tavernier, R., & Willoughby, T. (2014). Sleep problems: predictor or outcome of media use among emerging adults at university?. Journal Of Sleep Research, 23(4), 389-396. doi: 10.1111/jsr.12132