It has been a long day and you cannot wait to curl up in your comfortable mattress. Held tight in your hand is your ever-present smart phone. You snuggle down and set the alarm on your smart phone for 7:00 a.m., eight hours away. Then you do one more check of your email. A quick glance at your calendar tells you your job interview is at 09:00 a.m. tomorrow. Ping! Message from Stacy with a U-Tube link. Oh, that is funny so you send it Lizzy. Richard just posted a new picture on Face Book and you wonder what it is. You have been in bed for an hour and you are still wide-awake.

Your body comes prewired for regular sleep. You go to bed because you feel tired. Your body releases melatonin, a hormone, to help you sleep. Any light suppresses melatonin production. Blue-light used to back light devices is still light. It interferes with normal sleep and disrupts normal circadian rhythms. You will be going to your job interview less alert than if you had slept 8 hours. Be careful though, your reaction time will be slower and your judgement mildly impaired. Write everything down since your memory will not be at its best.

Habitually putting social media or anything else before sleep will have long-term health risks. That includes those who use electronic media to read themselves to sleep every night. While reading a novel creates less brain stimulation than interacting with others, the light still disrupts the release of melatonin. It is robbing time from sleep creating health risks from poor digestion, heart disease and early death. Insomniacs and those with sleep apnea seek treatment so they can sleep. It is a mystery why anyone would risk his or her health by choosing inadequate sleep.

Sleep deprivation plays a major role in obesity due to stress eating. A rested body does not produce an excess of the stress hormone cortisol that leads to dangerous belly fat. A tired body does not effectively release the hormone leptin. That hormone tells your brain you are no longer hungry. Sleep is the bodies reset button. Add a comfortable memory foam mattress for an even deeper night sleep. Both your body and your electronics will perform better and last longer when allowed to reset each night.

This website is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Live & Sleep is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this website. Always consult your own GP if you’re in any way concerned about your health.