iPad Could Affect Sleep Habits

The iPad is a “magical” device for a lot of first time users. It has everything one would need to play games, get entertained, and get some work done on the go. As it turns out, it can serve as a powerful e-book reader as well. But did you know that your favorite gadget can keep your from sleeping at night and introduce you to what people call insomnia?

Unlike Amazon Kindle and other e-readers, you do not need a reading light to use your iPad in a dark room. It is backlit, so you can use anywhere, no matter how dark it is. Unfortunately, that light exposure could send the wrong signals to your body and keep you awake for a longer period of time. You may want to use your iPad to read a book and put yourself to sleep. But your device could have the exact opposite effect on your body. Alon Avidan, a neurologist, put it best:

If you’re using a Kindle – which doesn’t use a significant light source – that may potentially have less of an impact compared to a device like a laptop or an iPad with more significant light exposure

Our bodies are advanced biological machines. Since we are not a hunter species, we have an easier time sleeping during the night instead of the day. In fact, light inhibits the release of melatonin, which is what puts you to sleep. Let’s not forget that you can still put yourself to sleep, even during the day. It just happens that a lot of people keep their iPads very close to their bodies, essentially sending a signal to their bodies to stay away for longer.

It’s one thing to claim something go wrong and a whole other thing to base those claims on real research. Can the iPad keep you from sleeping at night? Absolutely. But it’s not as if you could use your Kindle or other e-book readers without a book light either. Besides, sleep disorder experts complain about iPad’s back-light, but they don’t offer any conclusive study to back their claim up.

At the end of the day, we all have the option to put our iPads down and use it earlier in our days if it is affecting our sleep habits. What can give you insomnia is not just the light but all those cool apps that you can pick up on iTunes.

Has your iPad affected how you sleep at night?