Sleep tight, don’t let the iPad bite

Scientists over in the US have theorised that using the iPad before going to bed could result in disrupted sleep patterns.
In fact, using any sort of laptop with a bright backlit screen up to two hours before turning in for the night could be bad news.
This is because the brain is stimulated by the brightness of the screen into thinking it’s still daytime, when it should be clocking off and preparing for sleep, later on in the evening.
The result: A more sleepless night, tiredness, irritation, and a higher probability of spilt milk and breakfast cereal.
CNN reported on this story, speaking to Phyllis Zee, a Neuroscience Professor at Northwestern University and Director of the Centre for Sleep & Circadian Biology.
She told CNN: “If you’re using [the iPad or a laptop] close to bedtime… that light can be sufficiently stimulating to the brain to make it more awake and delay your ability to sleep.”
“And I think more importantly, it could also be sufficient to affect your circadian rhythm. This is the clock in your brain that determines when you sleep and when you wake up,” she concluded.
Apparently reading a book via lamplight isn’t nearly so bad, as the light isn’t beamed directly into your eyes.
Watching TV isn’t such a crime, either, due to the distance between the screen and your eyes.
Given that one of the iPad’s main functions is that of an e-reader, bedtime book reading on Apple’s tablet might not seem quite so tempting in the light of this theory.
However, other researchers have played down the significance of what Phyllis Zee has said, claiming that there’s no real need to worry unless you are actually experiencing insomnia after reading late at night on your tablet or laptop.
That being the case, you can always turn the brightness on the screen down.