LCD Monitors & Insomnia

Research shows that computer monitors cause insomnia.

If you're finding yourself sleeping less at night, your computer may be the source of your troubles. As electronics have become more widespread and portable, researchers have found links between increasing screen time and diminishing sleep.

Disrupting Hormone Production

Late night computer use is common in today's world, but not in nature. Artificial light disrupts the production of melatonin, which in turn makes it more difficult to fall asleep. Current research done by the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center suggests that iPad and laptop computer screens create enough light to cause the same problem.

Mimicking Daylight

Today's LCD screens also emit more blue light than regular lamps. The blue range of light naturally occurs during daytime hours, and diminishes as the sun begins to set. When this blue light is introduced in the evenings the brain interprets it as daylight, further disrupting the processes that encourage sleep at night.

Excited Minds

Computer use compounds the problem of unnatural light from a screen by combining it with the engaging nature of the internet or video games. Where someone can read a book or watch TV in a passive, drowsy state, browsing the web or playing a game is an active process which puts the mind in a more wakeful state.

References

• MSNBC.com: iPad Could Cause Insomnia
• CNN.com: Trouble sleeping? Maybe it's your iPad
• NYTimes.com: As Different as Night and Day