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Do you have problems sleeping? Blame it on your tablet

Sure, you love reading books on your iPad and your Galaxy Tab.

But you just might have to put it aside before you get into bed. 

A new study has found that using a tablet that emits light before bedtime can affect your natural body clock, in turn affecting the quality of your sleep. 

A group of people were tested in a lab at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital for two weeks, spending five days reading a book under reflected light, and another five days using an iPad for the same amount of time. 

Their levels of melatonin - the hormone which helps regulate sleep and wake cycles - their REM sleep and other measurements were monitored by researchers. 

The results?

Those who read from the iPad took 10 minutes longer to fall asleep, had less REM sleep - the restorative part of the sleep cycle - and felt more tired the next day. 

“Many people read things to help them fall asleep. They probably don’t realize that this technology is actually making them less likely to feel sleepy,” said the study's senior author, Charles Czeisler. 

Solution? Read normal books - you know, the ones that are made of paper? 

Source: Wall Street Journal

 

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