eReaders and Circadian Rhythms : An interesting... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

137,156 members160,846 posts

eReaders and Circadian Rhythms

PR4NOW profile image
11 Replies

An interesting study about the effects eReaders have on people. The full PDF is free. PR

Significance

The use of light-emitting electronic devices for reading, communication, and entertainment has greatly increased recently. We found that the use of these devices before bedtime prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep, delays the circadian clock, suppresses levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, reduces the amount and delays the timing of REM sleep, and reduces alertness the following morning. Use of light-emitting devices immediately before bedtime also increases alertness at that time, which may lead users to delay bedtime at home. Overall, we found that the use of portable light-emitting devices immediately before bedtime has biological effects that may perpetuate sleep deficiency and disrupt circadian rhythms, both of which can have adverse impacts on performance, health, and safety.

pnas.org/content/early/2014...

Written by
PR4NOW profile image
PR4NOW
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
11 Replies
gabkad profile image
gabkad

f.lux set at 1200K (ember) helps a lot if someone is supersensitive to blue light. Even 3400K is fine. (Of course that's just for the computer screen.)

It delays sleep by 10 minutes. IF melatonin is affected..take a tad amount of it by tablet. The snooze alarm is your real true enemy. True that if you are waiting for a certain email or response of some kind that you will be alert, more likely to drift off and then come to so you can check the email.. best to just say that after 9pm I don't respond to emails until the next day. Sleep is precious. Better to turn on soft music to relax and sleep with.

Hypopotamus profile image
Hypopotamus

And what about TV?

in reply to Hypopotamus

I don't think people generally sit close enough to a TV for it to be a problem. Although I would suspect the problem would be increased if watching it in a darkened room (do people still do that?).

My Kindle is one of the old ones. It doesn't really emit light - ie you have to have the light on to read it. Yet I have noticed recently that I'm not sleeping well or quickly again :-( I wonder if this is the culprit?

gabkad profile image
gabkad in reply to Hypopotamus

When you go by people's places at night and they have the TV on, the room light looks blue. Blue keeps a person awake. Orange (like sunset) helps to stimulate melatonin production.

There was a study done recently using sour cherry juice because it contains melatonin. It helps a bit for people to get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer. 1 ounce before bedtime and another ounce if a person wakes up during the night. (good luck with the sugar content though...) I bought frozen pitted sour cherries for a recipe this Christmas. No sugar added.......... SOUR! Phew.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Thanks for link PR4NOW. I know someone to whom I shall pass on the link.

susie59 profile image
susie59

but I love reading my E reader before I drift off, it makes me sleepy.

Sutton profile image
Sutton

I have found also that using my i phone too much makes my hands hurt (painful tingling) as well!!

Parbrook profile image
Parbrook

It should be noted that most dedicated eBook readers are not actually light emitting.

Most, if not all, ebook readers use e-ink and do not emit light.

The Kindle Paperwhite readers are front-lit, with the light being directed backwards towards the e-ink display.

This article is a referring to light emitting devices, but slightly misleadingly refers to these as ereaders, whereas it appears to be describing the reading of books on phones and tablets, which have light emitting displays.

Terricotta profile image
Terricotta in reply to Parbrook

Thank you for this clarity, yousurname.

punkyb profile image
punkyb

very interesting article Thank you for sharing

You may also like...

Thyroid Levels Variation and Circadian Rhythm

levothyroxine 100mcg until and doctor decided to reduce to 75mcg based on the TSH. My Mum has...

Influences of sleep and the circadian rhythm on iron-status indices

us to re-assess! Influences of sleep and the circadian rhythm on iron-status indices

Trying out the T3 Circadian Rhythm method... 4am?!!! Anyone had success with this?

go. Anyone else out there had success with T3 circadian?

T3 only update, T3 circadian, Heart rate

morning dose of Levothyroxine and started 25mcg of T3 before bed that evening. Had I been on my...

Overview of Circadian T3 Method (CT3M) for Adrenal Problems

do not use Facebook then please use the link:...