If You Have Insomnia, DON'T Turn Off Your Electronics Before Bed.

I bet you didn’t expect to see that statement coming when all you ever hear now is that you should turn off the electronics because of the evil blue light. While there is some truth to losing sleep because of the blue light emitted from our devices, there is a positive trade-off that leads to more sleep. Keep, and it will all make more sense. 

If you have been following me on Instagram (@katelin.gates.rn), you are aware that the more you worry about your sleep, the more you will struggle with sleep. Worrying about electronics lets you know that you haven’t accepted where you are at when it comes to sleep. By accepting where you are and letting go of control, the sooner you will move toward better sleep. 

You need to remember that thousands and thousands of things affect our sleep. You may have had less protein that day and lost 3-minutes of sleep because of it, and you may have had a higher stress day and lost 12-minutes of sleep. Perhaps you ate some dessert in the evening and lost 6-minutes of sleep or you had a little less sun exposure today and lost 9-minutes of sleep. Or you watched Netflix before bed and lost 20-minutes of sleep because of blue light exposure. 

When you have insomnia, you have some level of hyperarousal and anxiety happening. Taking your focus off your sleep and onto something you enjoy, such as Netflix, will over time lead to less anxiety and more sleep. Sure, you may lose 20-minutes of sleep, but you will gain back a heck of a lot more than that with time. 

Millions of people watch tv and use their electronics before bed and still sleep well. If you look at good sleepers, they usually have the worst sleep hygiene and other habits that may have a negative impact on sleep. By avoiding something you enjoy, you allow insomnia to take control of your life. If you enjoy electronics before bed, then I say use them! 

Comment below with your favorite Netflix show that you are going to watch tonight.