The Blog

Whether it’s our phone, computer, or tablet, we usually start each morning and end each day looking at our screens. The IT’S TIME TEXAS team is guilty of it, too; we have two mobile apps we all love to play around with, after all. However, checking your emails or making one last social media post right before bed is actually something that will keep you up at night. And I’m not talking about losing track of time only to realize it’s now 2am, but looking at your phone and computer right before bed actually makes it harder to fall asleep after you put the screens down.

Phones, computers, and tablet screens are designed to be bright, and actually mimic the brightness of the sun. Being on our bright screens right before bed tricks our bodies into thinking that it’s still daytime and makes it harder to go to sleep. This is due to the large amount of blue light that our phones, laptops, and tablets emit. Blue light stimulates our brains in the same way that sunlight wakes us up every day.

The best way to avoid this problem is to stop using your phone or computer 30 minutes to an hour before you go to sleep. This way your body has time to wind down and get ready for bed. But let’s face it, in today’s day and age it can be pretty hard to put our screens down even for a second. Thankfully, some smart people designed apps for your phone and computer, such as “Flux” and “Twilight”, which actually take out all of the blue light from your screens by tinting your screens red at night, allowing you to stay connected later without over-stimulating your brain. I personally have used apps like this for over a year now and it has greatly improved my sleep schedule. 

Hope this helps you get more shut-eye! 

Written by Brooks Anderson, UT Austin 2016, IT’S TIME TEXAS Marketing & Design Intern