Summary

Excessive nighttime screen exposure can significantly disrupt sleep patterns, leading to a range of negative health effects including mood disorders, cognitive impairment, and physical ailments.

Abstract

Research indicates that using screens late at night can disrupt the circadian rhythm, causing various health issues. The author recounts a personal experience of a sudden onset of depression, lack of energy, and mood swings, which was linked to several nights of poor sleep due to prolonged screen time. The article highlights studies showing the adverse effects of nighttime screen use on sleep quality and overall health. After resuming a regular sleep schedule and reducing screen time before bed, the author's mental health and daily productivity improved significantly. The article emphasizes the importance of sleep for maintaining good health and suggests that others experiencing unexplained depression may also benefit from managing their screen time and sleep habits.

Opinions

The author believes that nighttime screen use can have a profound negative impact on mental health, as evidenced by their personal experience with depression.
It is suggested that consistent lack of sleep due to screen time can lead to a range of health problems beyond just mood changes, including physical symptoms and cognitive issues.
The author advocates for a strict sleep schedule and reduced screen time before bed as effective strategies for improving sleep quality and overall well-being.
There is an opinion that the consequences of poor sleep hygiene are underestimated, and that society should be more aware of the potential health risks associated with late-night screen exposure.
The author implies that while managing screen time and sleep can resolve some mental health issues, persistent depression should be addressed with professional medical help.

Night Time Screen Time Affects Your Health

Research shows it disrupts your sleep cycle

If you suddenly find yourself depressed or sad, when you are normally a cheerful person, too much time viewing screens at night could be the culprit.

Gazing at screens at night confuses our brains, and it can reset our circadian rhythms. When our internal clocks are disrupted, it causes all kinds of health problems. Research (Salk Institute 2018) shows how this nightly screen time adversely affects us. Studies (JMIR Mental Health, 2019) show that lack of sleep can harm people’s moods, contributing to anxiety and depression.

I never meant to test this theory.

Two weeks ago I woke up crying. I’d devolved from this optimistic person into a complete mess. I obsessed all day about every mistake I ever made, and all the poor choices I’d made from childhood up to that point. I felt old and irrelevant as if I’d reached my expiration date. It even affected my dreams. I dreamt I performed a sad song on the piano. When I awakened I was weeping.

For the next two days, I kept waking up in this melancholy mood, on the edge of tears before I even started the day.

The third day was the worst of all. My mind traveled to a dark space, that I couldn’t escape. I questioned what my purpose was in living. I felt like an abject failure. All I could see ahead in my future was a dark, heavy cloud of sorrow. I couldn’t imagine anything exciting or worthwhile ever happening in my life again. The best in life was behind me. Everything appeared hopeless. I couldn’t see any way out of my failures. I felt completely unloved and alone. I couldn’t find joy in anything. My body felt heavy and my muscles felt weak. Fear and anxiety overwhelmed me. I grew angry at the smallest things. I was just plain miserable.

On the fourth day, my depressed mood was gone. Like sunshine after the rain, it disappeared as fast as it came.

The entire episode was a mystery to me.

What had happened that had plunged me into a three-day depression? I’m usually an upbeat person. Nothing drastic had happened. Everything was going well with my friends, home, and career. Why had I plunged into self-loathing and despair?

Then something jolted my memory. For three days straight, I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. I’d been on the computer all night until the early hours of the morning watching television series, YouTube videos, reading articles, and checking my social media accounts. When I turned the screens off at that late hour, I couldn’t doze off. I tossed and turned all night with insomnia. The slightest noise startled me awake, from the cat meowing — to a car driving down the street outside. Nothing could help me sleep. I tried a warm shower, praying, meditating and nothing worked. I didn’t fall asleep until almost 5 am — barely sleeping before the alarm woke me.

As a result of poor sleep, I was groggy the following day. I had a slight sore throat and nausea. In the past, this was typical for me, and when I caught up on sleep the symptoms would always disappear.

But this time, there were more problems. Each night of disrupted sleep led to a sad mood, and pervading inertia — three days of not accomplishing anything except for the bare necessities. I didn’t even have the energy to clean my house. I love writing, but I didn’t even feel like it. This wasn’t like me at all.

How things went back to normal.

The third day when I was in my worst mood ever, I headed up to bed early. I fell asleep easily and had a refreshing night’s rest. I woke up in the morning at my usual time, and that miserable mood had vanished completely. I felt like my old self again. Life was good, and I could handle everything.

It amazes me how quickly this lack of sleep had impacted my mental health. Just three days of poor sleep had brought out the worst in me.

Research from the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School shows a lack of sleep impacts your health in the following ways:

Weight gain
Issues with concentration and thinking
Weakened immune system
Memory problems
Mood changes
Accidents
Increased risk for diabetes
High blood pressure

In addition to the other problems, lack of sleep can cause people to fall asleep at random moments during the day; this can adversely affect their job performance. Lack of sleep has even been linked to psychosis, (Frontiers in Psychiatry 2018.) When deprived of proper sleep for days, people have experienced auditory and visual hallucinations.

A new sleep schedule.

I’m thankful that my lack of sleep only adversely affected my mood. It could have been so much worse.

I’m now on a sleep schedule, turning off my screens after ten p.m. I’m waking up with the sun, without an alarm, and I feel amazing and more productive during the day.

It could happen to you too.

What happened to me could happen to you too. If you find yourself depressed or sad for no reason, screen time hours late at night could be the likely source. If you’re experiencing insomnia regularly, make sure you’re getting the proper amount of shut-eye. Turn off the screens early and keep a consistent bedtime. You will be amazed at how much better you’ll feel the next day. For we all need our sleep; more than we could ever realize.

If your depression persists after limiting your screen time and getting enough sleep, see your doctor.