Sleeping is the most basic and the most critical need of the human body. Not only does it help you recover from the demands of your daily life, but it also allows your body to continue functioning effectively.
As such, experts advise having at least 6 hours of sleep every day. Experts will encourage sleepers to go out of their way to select a top-quality Canadian mattress. For children and teenagers, they need 6 to 8 hours of sleep.
Importance of Sleep
Good sleep optimizes health and well-being by allowing the body the needed rest to repair damaged tissues and strengthen the immune system. The benefits of having a good sleep are:
- Improves focus and concentration
- Strengthens immune system
- Adds to productivity
- Prevents mental health problem
- Greater physical stamina
- Lower risk of heart disease
On the other hand, a recurring lack of sleep may result in severe physical and mental health problems. Aside from mattresses and sleep factors, there are many causes of poor sleep, such as stress, anxiety, depression, irregular sleep schedule, and place not conducive for sleep.
The connection between mattresses and sleep may also affect your quality of sleep. With that said, the health risks posed by lack of sleep are:
- Possibility of acquiring clinical depression
- Prone to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure
- Weaken the immune system thus; you can be susceptible to diseases
Because of this, medical experts warn against excessive sleep deprivation. However, one of the significant causes of concern for children and teenagers, and some adults are sleep deprivation due to extreme computer gaming.
Pieces of evidence from various studies point to playing video games before bedtime affect the quality of sleep. However, how does playing video games affect sleep?
Does Playing Video Games Affect Your Sleep Quality?
An experiment done by a Flinders University professor found that video games result in poor sleep. This particular experiment was conducted among 17 teenagers wherein they were asked to play violent video games before bedtime for 50 or 150 minutes.
Then, the researchers monitored the participants’ pulse recorded the various parameters for sleep phases.
The results showed that those who play 150 minutes, on average, could not sleep for about 39 minutes, and their total amount of sleep decreased by 27 minutes. In contrast, those who played for only 50 minutes remained unaffected.
Other results from various studies and experiments reveal that:
- Video games increase the urge to stay up late because most video games are addicting.
- The adrenalin rush caused by heightened excitement prevents falling asleep naturally.
- The blue light emitted by the computer screen suppresses melatonin, the chemical that aids in sleeping.
With that said, it is recommended that children should not be allowed to play computer games before bedtime. Young adolescents are also advised against exceeding the recommended number of hours every day for computer gaming, especially before bedtime.
Of course, playing computer is a hard habit to break. With that said, here are some tips to get that much-needed restful sleep:
- Establish a regular sleeping pattern.
- Limit your exposure to blues light, especially before bedtime.
- Get into physical exercise. It is proven that those who exercise have a better sleeping experience.
- Eat a balanced diet. Avoid too much sugar and caffeine intake before bedtime.
- Set up a conducive and comfortable sleep environment.
On top of all these, if you are a gamer or your children are, it would be best to limit video game time to no more than 50 minutes. After all, your body deserves that much-needed sleep to stay healthy.
Conclusion
Getting enough restful sleep is crucial for anyone, whether you’re a young child or an adult. However, several factors can affect your sleep quality – from your mattress to the activities you do before going to bed.
While playing games is undoubtedly fun, it would be best if you limit your playtime or your children’s to just 50 minutes before bed. This way, you can stay as healthy as possible by avoiding sleep deprivation.
