Getting a good night’s sleep is essential. In fact, it’s just as important as diet or exercise for your brain performance, mood, and overall health. Good sleep helps your heart and weight management, keeps your immune system strong, increases attention span, and helps reduce your risk of diseases like high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and more.
According to the CDC, about 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep every day. However, this is something that you can work to fix! Plus, you can use modern technology to help, rather than hurt, your sleep quality.
Tech for Better Sleep
Dark Mode
Dark Mode reduces the overall brightness of your smartphone, found in the Settings section of your device. Instead of bright white backgrounds, Dark Mode backgrounds are, like the name suggests, dark, making it easier on your eyes. A lot of apps also allow you to turn on Dark Mode for their individual interfaces, found in the Settings section of each app.
Do Not Disturb Mode
This mode silences notifications whenever it is on, so your phone screen won’t light up, tempting you to check it. This mode can be customized to allow some notifications from certain apps or people to come through if there is something you don’t want to miss, like a phone call from your partner or child.
Track Your Sleep
Smartwatches, like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch, can track your sleep and provide you a detailed analysis. They show your sleep cycles, duration, and how often you were awake during the night. These apps can help you identify patterns and measure the quality of your sleep.
Shop smartwatches at your local TCC Verizon store.
Blue Light Filters
Electronics emit blue light, which may disrupt our sleep patterns when you’re exposed to it at nighttime. To help mitigate these effects and alleviate eye strain, set a schedule so your phone’s Night Shift feature automatically turns on at a certain time each day. This mode shifts your display to warmer colors at night and back to its regular settings in the morning.
Limit Electronic Usage
You can consider limiting your screen time one hour before bed to help your melatonin production. Instead of scrolling on your phone or watching tv, try to do something relaxing like reading a book or performing a nighttime selfcare routine.
Other Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep
- Create a routine and stick to it. Go to bed and wake up around the same time, even on the weekend.
- Avoid caffeine before bedtime.
- Keep your room dark.
- Stay active during the day. Physical activity is great for sleep! However, for some people, working out too close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.
- Limit napping.
Are you one of the many people who aren’t getting quality sleep each night? By making a few changes, you can establish a healthier bedtime routine and start improving your sleep quality.