Screens Really are a Nightmare for Sleep

Note to Self | Dec 24, 2014

May we suggest a holiday activity for the family?

Sleep. Without screens. Get a lot of it. 

New research from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that that bluish-glow from computers, smart phones and tablets is, in fact, keeping us up at night, and the impacts are worse than scientists previously suspected. Not only are our devices keeping us up later and later into the evenings, they're actually making it more difficult for us to fall asleep at all. The consequences are psychological and biological.

So no, this isn't an excuse to push the kids away on Christmas morning. It's more of a long-term lifestyle plea, culled from a ton of data WNYC collected earlier this year. And in that spirit, we're re-airing one of our favorite episodes from 2014, about something we do every day (or at least we try to do). Getting enough rest to stave off some pretty staggering screen-fueled sleep deficits. 

Give it a listen (or another, if you caught it earlier this year), and join us in getting some much-needed rest this winter.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, or on Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, or anywhere else using our RSS feed. 

Be alert for scams. WNYC never asks for nor accepts money for coverage or interviews. Anyone making such a request does not represent WNYC.

Top Stories

Your guide to voting in New York's 2026 elections for governor and Congress

Gina Hinojosa Aims to Make Texas Blue Again. Plus, Reading Is Alive and Well

Claire Valdez on populism and the DSA agenda in Congress

The Classroom/Technology Pipeline

YOU ARE ONLINE