Do you use your smartphone when you go to sleep each night? Of course you do! Probably, it is the best time to play your favorite games, binge watch some Netflix shows, chat with your loved one on social media, catch up some latest YouTube videos and check out what your friends are doing on Facebook, after a long and busy day.
We do a lot of things while using smartphones at nighttime. But did you ever know that your night screen time is affecting your health badly and it has been causing some huge health risks. It’s time to control your habits and make some major life changes. And yes, late night phone usage affects our melatonin hormone, which is directly or indirectly connected to our fertility. We will discuss it along with other effects. So, keep reading.
First of all, what is melatonin?
Melatonin is basically a sleep hormone, in simple words. But one thing we don’t know is that it plays a vital role in securing egg quality and fertility. Especially when women start to age, it helps them to get pregnant. It protects against free radicals and controls reproductive hormonal release like FSH and LH for embryo’s implantation.
Melatonin production depends on night sleep
We all understand the importance of sleep quality. Have you ever felt dull the next morning after spending last night without sleep? What goes on in the body behind the scenes is important to your health. Melatonin is highly produced in our brain’s pineal gland. Its levels rise around 9pm and start to drop with exposure to light in the morning. It is melatonin which signals other brain molecules to improve sleep and control other hormonal rhythms and serve as antioxidants in the cell.
It is also harmful for your eyes
Electronic devices’ screens emit blue light at high levels which can damage your vision, especially at night time. According to studies, direct exposure to it affects your retinas. It could cause macular degeneration which affects central vision. If you have to use mobile devices at night, use the Night Shift option on iOS or Night Light on Android. Adjust the colors to reduce blue light effects.
