Your Smartphone May Be Decreasing Your Work Productivity

There are a growing number of distractions that threaten to infringe on your sleep. Since all of the technology that impacts our lives has not been around for a long amount of time, the studies concerning technological and impact on the human brain are relatively new. According to a study conducted by Michigan State University, using your smartphone at night can affect your sleep patterns and lower your productivity at work. While many people may be using their smartphones in the evening to keep up with the demands of work, the very use of this device may impact their productivity the following day. More than half of US adults own a smartphone. An assistant professor at MSU, who is like much of the population with smartphones, admitted that, “I would say I check it pretty frequently, and usually right before bed I’m looking at it to make sure nothing critical came up.”

It is believed that the displays on most smartphones decrease melatonin production which lowers likelihood of falling asleep. Melatonin is a chemical that is released in the body and promotes sleep. Additional research has found that this effect may not be caused by computers, laptops, and televisions. The study found, “That had almost no effect whatsoever on how fatigued they were the next day.” This may be because smartphones emit “blue light” which is the most disruptive of all of the colors of light.

In a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, it was discovered that only 40 percent of Americans get enough sleep on most nights and a commonly cited reason for sleep loss or decreased sleep is smartphone usage for work. With some analysis of your smartphone habits, it may be possible to see a change in your work productivity and sleep patterns. “The amount of time people spent using their smart phone after 9pm had a detrimental effect on sleep that night, as well as it carried over and impacted how fatigued they were the following morning,” said Russell Johnson, an Assistant Professor of Management at MSU that conducted the research.

This study only explored smartphone use for work purposes so future studies might analyze smartphone use for recreational purposes near bedtime. There is much more to be researched concerning technology and it impact on sleep. Two potential solutions that may help you are setting restrictions for smartphone usage in the evenings and actually turning off your smartphone at night. Some employees feel that the effects on your job may be disastrous but in most situations, work will wait and sleep may be your best bet.

If you believe that your sleep patterns need analysis, FusionSleep can help. You may be among one of the 40 million Americans with a sleep disorder. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with the doctors at FusionSleep.