If you cannot sleep at night ? It might be your gadget?

Ours is a generation of technophiles. Kids learn to use smartphone even before they learn to talk!
Given the situation it is obvious that most of us are accustomed to falling asleep with laptops glowing softly by our beds, playing a soothing episode of ‘Friends’ to lull us into sleep. Others might end the day by reading a chapter of ‘The Hunger Games’ on their tablets/iPads. But these comforting night-time routines may actually be screwing with our sleep patterns.

Neuroscientists suspect the glowing lights emitted by laptop, tablet and smartphone screens mess with our body’s internal light cues and sleep inducing hormones. Electronic devices emit blue light that can trick our brain into thinking it’s daytime. The brightness can mess with our circadian rhythm (the internal clock that decides when you fall asleep and when you wake up). Around 9 to 10 pm each night, the brain starts to secrete a hormone called melatonin which signals the body that it’s time to rest. If the eyes are exposed to brightness for a long period of time, they instruct the brain to wake up. The brain stops emitting melatonin and preclude you from falling asleep. This makes even harder for those who are already suffering from insomnia. If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, try dimming your screen before bedtime. Or you could embrace history and curl up with an old-fashioned paper back. Another way to reduce eye strain during night-time is to use a blue light filter software.

Sleep deprivation is a serious problem and you need to take care of it as soon as possible. Lak of sleep takes a toll on your energy, mood, health, and ability to function during a day.

Content source: Google.com

 

SCREEN TIME IS EQUAL TO WEIGHT GAIN

Source: Google photos

So today I am here with my first blog stating how screen time is equivalent to weight gain.

No doubt technology is useful, but it has made us lethargic in many ways. We keep everything we need on a side table so that we don’t have to move to get things in the middle of whatever we are doing.
Not only do we have more access to digital media and entertainment, we spend more time using it. In earlier times, when people had nothing to do, they used to go out in park for fresh air, meet people, walk and pass their time in a productive manner. Whereas in today’s time, people including children prefer to pass time watching screens.

In a survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, researchers found, watching T.V occupied an average of 2.8 hours per day. That doesn’t count time spent on tablets, PCs or smartphones. The more time you spend watching television, the more likely you are to be inactive overall.

Further, it’s been shown that people pay less attention to their eating habits when watching T.V or movies, making it easier to overeat typically high calorie snacks like sugary drinks and fast food.

Ross DeVol, chief research officer at the Milken Institute says that “Common sense says if you sit around in front of the screen, don’t exercise, change your diet…you are going to gain weight.”

Overweight and obesity are linked to 12 cancers so the drivers of weight gain, overweight and obesity are also indirectly the drivers of cancer risk.

Body weight is influenced by numerous, interdependent factors ranging from genetics to broader environmental, economic and social factors. It focuses on the diet and physical activity determinants. Understanding how these modifiable factors influence weight gain, overweight and obesity is crucial for addressing this, from a personal level right through to informing policy.

If you are overweight or likely to become, do take out some time from your busy schedule for physical exercises. Try managing your routine by either getting up 15 minutes early in the morning or sparing few minutes for your body in the evening. If you yourself don’t spare some time for your health, then eventually doctor will make you do.

Exercising for 15 minutes is better than not to exercise at all. After-all “HEALTH IS WEALTH”.

Content source: Google