Your Phone Keeps You Awake At Night Even When You're Not Using It, Study Says

It's no secret electronics can wreck havoc on your ability to sleep.

Whether you're the type of person who drifts off to your favorite Netflix shows or someone who scrolls through Instagram until you finally pass out, were all guilty of bringing devices into the bedroom at night.

However, it turns out that pesky blue light from your screen isn't the only thing that's screwing up your nightly slumber.

New research published in JAMA Pediatrics revealed that cell phones, smart devices and computers are all keeping kids and teens awake at night, regardless of whether or not they're being used.

According to the study, these types of electronic devices not only reduce the amount of sleep you get but also have a negative effect on the quality of your sleep.

In fact, researchers determined a whopping 72 percent of children and 89 percent of adolescents have at least one of these devices within the proximity of their sleep environment, which makes this an especially concerning issue.

Dr. Ben Carter — a senior lecturer in biostatistics at King's College London — and his fellow colleagues examined hundreds of prior studies that looked into the effects of electronic devices on the sleeping patterns of children and adolescents that ranged in age from 6 to 19 years old.

Upon analyzing all of the pertinent research, Dr. Carter concluded there was a “strong and consistent association” between technology use before bedtime and sleeping problems.

What's even worse, the researchers discovered these devices don't even have to be in use to throw off your normal sleep cycle.

Apparently, the sheer content of these devices can be psychologically stimulating enough to keep you awake into the wee hours of the night.

Plus, the light and sounds given off by phones, tablets and computers can also have a negative impact on the body's natural sleep cycle and alertness.

Overall, the study found that the correlation between electronic devices in the bedroom and poor sleep is a pretty major heath concern, and the researchers even stated, “It is imperative that teachers, health care professionals, parents, and children are educated about the damaging influence of device use on sleep.”

So if you want to get some good quality Zs, you might want to ban your phone from the bedroom.

Citations: Kids Are Being Kept Awake by Their Phones Even When They're Not Using Them (Time)