We all know that feeling of hearing our alarm go off telling us it’s time to wake up (mine usually causes me to jump a foot because when the Circle of Life starts blaring at 7am it is enough for a heart attack). We feel exhausted, eyes are droopy, and sometimes feel like you spent the entire night before drinking (even when you didn’t!). Well, according to a study from Michigan State University, using your phone before bed can cause you to have a “cellphone hangover.”
The study was published in the Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes journal. It contained two parts. The first part of the study had 82 upper-level managers answer survey questions every day for two weeks asking about their smartphone usage. The surveys were administered at 6am and 4pm. The researchers found, to no surprise, that smartphone use after 9pm was associated with decreased sleep at night. Because of the lack of sleep, the participants felt more exhausted during the day that then caused a lack of engagement at work during the day.
Researchers made sure when conducting the research that reverse causation was not a reason by using a mathematical model. However, the researchers did find that daily work engagement did not predict smartphone use a night.
The second part of the survey broadened the range of people surveyed and included 161 employees who worked in all different fields. The participants took the surveys the same way as in the first part of the study, however they were also asked to use other electronics like TVs and computers to see how they affected sleep, work engagement, and morning depletion. The researchers at MSU found very similar results to the first part of the study. They also found that smartphones had a bigger impact than using a computer or watching TV.
The study concluded that smartphones are “almost perfectly designed to disrupt sleep.” However, there are some problems with this study’s design. The first part of the study did not include other forms of devices, but the second part did with a wider range of participants. This causes me to question if there are confounding variables to the study. Could the stress level of certain jobs cause a lack of sleep? And if certain jobs create a lack of sleep, could the use of smartphones have little to no impact but appear that way? I think the Michigan State University researchers were on the right track, but the design of the study leaves room for other variables to affect sleep.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/24/smartphone-night-worklace_n_4653223.html
http://time.com/2118/were-all-doomed-using-your-smartphone-before-bed-can-cause-cellphone-hangover/
I had never heard the saying “cellphone hangover”, but after reading your blog I am convinced that it may be a real thing. Considering the massive amount of time that I spend on my phone, especially at night, it does not surprise me to learn that my phone may be effecting my sleep. After reading an article on KGW.com I was surprised to learn that that “nearly 75 percent of people fall asleep each night with their cell phones within reach”. The fact that people have become so dependent upon their smart phones, it is not surprising to assume that people would want to have their phone with them at all times. It is important that people, including myself, understand the effects that being on your phone at night can have on your sleep. People must learn to turn off their phone when they turn off their lights. For more information on cell phones effecting sleep, check out this link: http://www.kgw.com/story/news/2014/07/26/12584984/
Kendall,
I found the article you replied with extremely interesting! The exposure to radiation is a very interesting topic and I was actually considering writing another blog on how the radiation alone might affect us. I also know from personal experience that I occasionally wake up from hearing my phone go off. Thanks for the reply, the article from The Huffington Post is very thought provoking.
There have been a lot of blogs on this lately and I feel that it affects me since I also tend to look at my computer or phone screen until right before bed, even if it’s just setting an alarm (it’s usually not just that). Even though I agree with you that there are some confunding variables to be called into question, there are multiple studies that I have seen through other people’s blogs that help further the point that sleep cycles can be disturbed by phone usage at night. Here are some links that help further that point:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/01/23/researchers-say-dont-check-your-cell-phone-at-night/
^this one references your Michigan State study but also looks deeply into other studies
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2194806/Using-mobile-phones-tablets-bed-affecting-sleep-warn-scientists.html
I am actually very interested in this topic! I wrote an article on the usage of smartphones and how it can potentially lead to blindness. The link is below if you are interested in reading it since it relates to your blog.
http://sites.psu.edu/siowfa14/2014/10/07/could-using-your-phone-at-night-lead-to-blindness/
I like how you included observational studies that had one group of people using smartphones and the other group using another device such as the computer or television. I agree with you that there are several flaws with this experiment. The first study only had a small number of people using smartphones, while the second study had a larger sample of the population using other forms of technology. The studies did not match up, and confounding variables could easily have been a major factor. Factors such as how much sleep the individual has been getting, his/her stress level, the last time he/she consumed food or beverages, etc., all contribute to the results of the study. The link below discusses how using smartphones before going to bed make us fatigued and unproductive, and even gives a couple tips to stop using smartphones so late at night.
http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2014/02/06/smartphones-make-you-tired-and-unproductive-study-says/
This study is very interesting but it doesn’t seem to give many reasons as to how using a smart phone before going to bed disrupts sleep. I found an article that explains these findings further. The article explains the findings of a study which found that when exposed to mobile radiation take longer to fall asleep and less time in deep sleep. Our sleeping habits are also affected because of the itch to check your phone throughout the night or waking up because of a text message. So overall, sleeping with a phone around can greatly affect your sleeping habits in many negative ways.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/phones-sleep-mobile-_n_2680805.html
This study is very interesting but it doesn’t seem to give many reasons as to how using a smart phone before going to bed disrupts sleep. I found an article that explains these findings further. The article explains the findings of a study which found that when exposed to mobile radiation take longer to fall asleep and less time in deep sleep. Our sleeping habits are also affected because of the itch to check your phone throughout the night or waking up because of a text message. So overall, sleeping with a phone around can greatly affect your sleeping habits in many negative ways.
This is really interesting, I’ve heard that cellphones can affect sleep cycles but never to this extent.