Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness

Dec 24, 2014Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Using light-emitting eReaders at night worsens sleep, body clock timing, and morning alertness

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Abstract

Reading an electronic book before bedtime is associated with longer time to fall asleep and reduced melatonin secretion.

  • 90% of American adults use electronics within an hour of bedtime, which may negatively impact sleep quality.
  • Exposure to short-wavelength light from electronic devices may produce alertness and phase-shift the biological clock.
  • Participants reading an electronic book took longer to fall asleep compared to those reading a printed book.
  • Evening reading of an electronic book resulted in reduced evening sleepiness and lower levels of melatonin.
  • Reading an electronic book also led to a later circadian clock timing and reduced alertness the following morning.

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Full Text

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