If you’re having trouble sleeping, do not bother counting sheep – just take a break from your computer and cellphone.
Scientists warned this week that using the devices too much could make it hard to switch off at night. The researchers from the University of Gothenburg, who also said there were links to depression, claimed many people were struggling with an information overload caused by the blurring of boundaries between their work and home lives.
Youngsters should be taught about the “healthy” use of technology, they said, including understanding that they do not have to be available 24 hours a day.
In the studies, hundreds of men and women aged 19 to 28 years detailed their computer and cellphone use, including how often they were woken at night by their phone, how many hours a day they spent at their computer and how long they would stare at the screen without taking a break of at least 10 minutes.
Some did not use a computer, others claimed to be in front of a screen for up to 150 hours a week.
In one study, volunteers who said they thought their use of technology was harming their health were interviewed in detail about symptoms of stress and depression. The results showed a clear link between heavy computer and cellphone use and disturbed sleep. Spending long hours in front of the computer was associated with depression in women but not in men. – Daily Mail