While sleep is critical to mental and physical health, an increasing number of people are accustomed to using screens in bed

New Delhi: Love to scroll your phone while in bed? Scientists have found that using a screen in bed can drive your risk of insomnia by 59 per cent.

While sleep is critical to mental and physical health, an increasing number of people are accustomed to using screens in bed. The study by researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Norway showed it may be associated with poor sleep.

While social media is seen to be more associated with poorer sleep because of its interactive nature and potential for emotional stimulation, a survey of 45,202 young adults, aged between 18-28 years old, in Norway showed that the type of screen activity did not matter.

“We found no significant differences between social media and other screen activities, suggesting that screen use itself is the key factor in sleep disruption — likely due to time displacement, where screen use delays sleep by taking up time that would otherwise be spent resting,” said lead author Dr. Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland, from the Institute.

The study showed that screen use in bed can reduce sleep time by 24 minutes. Notably, sleep problems were found to be highly prevalent among students. This may “have significant implications for mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being”, said Hjetland.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, screens reduce sleep time because they displace rest, not because they increase wakefulness: different activities would be expected to affect wakefulness differently.

“If you struggle with sleep and suspect that screen time may be a factor, try to reduce screen use in bed, ideally stopping at least 30-60 minutes before sleep,” Hjetland said.

“If you do use screens, consider disabling notifications to minimise disruptions during the night,” Hjetland added, while calling for further studies to understand the relationship between screen use and sleep globally.

A recent study by researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the US showed that young adults who do not get the right amount of sleep may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure or hypertension — a common risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.