Reasons You Should Avoid Screens Before Bedtime

You know you shouldn't do it, but every night the same thing happens. You're drawn to that enticing glow. Let's look at six reasons you should ditch the screens in bed.

First, it keeps you awake. Your eyes tell your brain when to go to sleep, but the light entering your eyes from screens hinders the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep.

When you look at screens, you get less REM sleep, and that means less dreaming even if you get eight hours.

It could be making your eyes dry. It can happen when you focus on screens for long periods of time because you actually blink less when looking at it.

The blue light of your phone or tablet can lead to eye strain. Your eyes need to rest too, so let them.

Excessive screen time may affect parts of your brain, changing the way you process emotions and make decisions.

Six, it throws relationships out of whack. Studies show that when one partner is phone-dependent, it makes the other partner feel insecure and uneasy in their relationship.

For the best results, power off one to two hours before bedtime, or at the very least, try dimming the brightness on your screen. And don't worry, it'll still be there when you wake up.