Reading on a screen might be killing you!

Wow, that’s quite a headline and it might just be true.

Like most people out there who are entrenched into today’s techno revolution, I read on my iPad, Kindle, and cell phone.  That doesn’t or didn’t seem to be a bad thing until I found some startling information about reading on a device.

I enjoy reading just about any time of day, but the time I enjoy it most is in bed for an hour before turning off the lights.That hour of peaceful reading gives me time to relax with a good book.  It used to be an actual book, but I must admit I’ve not held a paper book in years.  Now all my books are electronic  and they are housed in my devices, which are linked to each other.

I flip back and forth between my iPad and Kindle depending on which book I might be reading at the time.  It never bothered me, nor did it dawn on me that reading on a device might be causing me harm.  That is until I read an article in The Huffington Post entitled[Tweet “Reading On A Screen Before Bed Might Be Killing You”]

That article opened my eyes to the dangers of reading on back lighted screen at night before sleep.  So I did some of my own research into the issue.  Wow, I found a plethora articles and studies supporting the idea that our computer monitors have a negative affect on hormones that give us a relaxing, healthful night’s sleep.

It turns out that the light used in most back lighted monitors (including tablets) emulates daylight enough that it may cause us to have less than healthful sleep patterns.  According to more than one study, there is evidence that supports the light from backlit screens may disrupt the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us slip into a restful sleep pattern.  Once disrupted, sleep may become less than healthy.

So as of this morning, I am leaving my iPad, cell phone and other backlit devices turned off for at least two hours before I turn out the lights.  Since I do enjoy reading prior to sleeping, I will most likely use my Kindle from now on, as it is not a backlit screen and seems to more closely emulate reading from a “Real” book.

Reference Articles: (clickable)

Reading On A Screen Before Bed Might Be Killing You

 

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