Gadgets cause insomnia: psychiatristBy Liao Hsueh-ju and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe use of electronic gadgets, such as smartphones and tablets, in bed has a high association with insomnia, medical experts said on World Sleep Day yesterday. World Sleep Day was initiated by the World Sleep Society in 2008 to increase public awareness about how sleep can affect mental and physical health, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital psychiatrist Wang Ming-yu (王明鈺) said. Instead of relaxing, the brain continues to operate, causing problematic conditioning in which the brain links the bed to the use of electronic gadgets over time, she said. People who must use electronic devices at night should use them away from the bedroom and keep it as a place solely for rest, she added. Users of electronic gadgets at night should turn down the brightness of the screen so that production of melatonin remains at a normal level, Wang said.

Source: Taipei Times March 13, 2020 15:56 UTC