There is a group of people known as the "late-night phone users." They are used to lying in bed playing on their phones before sleep, browsing Weibo, using WeChat, playing games... yet refusing to go to bed immediately. Although playing on the phone can bring us a lot of fun, do you know the harms of lying and using your phone before sleep?
1. Affects the biological clock
Using a phone, tablet, or other light-emitting electronic devices for more than an hour in bed can decrease the total production of melatonin by about 22%. Once melatonin is suppressed to this extent, the human physiological cycle is also affected. The direct result is that people remain in light sleep and may even have their total sleep time greatly reduced. In other words, after playing on your phone for an hour, you might end up playing for another three hours because you can't fall asleep.
2. Chronic strain
Drooping your neck excessively, keeping your body unnaturally bent, and leaning your neck forward more and more. This causes the sternocleidomastoid muscles in the neck to be constantly stretched forward, leading over time to chronic congestion, which can compress the vertebral arteries and induce cervical spondylosis, causing chronic strain.
3. Affects eyesight
Lying on your side puts the most pressure on the eyes. If this continues, within a month it can cause differences in eyesight between the left and right eyes (this is why some people have uneven prescription strengths while at birth both eyes are usually the same—because some people like to lie on their sides using their phones, reading novels, or looking at comics). Pressure from the pillow on the eyes causes insufficient blood supply, and over time, the eyes can feel swollen and briefly see overlapping images. This cannot be fixed just by using eye drops! So really, for the sake of our eyes, we must avoid this.
4. Cervical vertebrae reversed curvature
Normal people have a physiological curve in their cervical spine. If there is no physiological curve, or if it bends in the opposite direction, it is called "reversed curvature." Reversed cervical curvature is the most common pathological basis for cervical spondylosis. A high pillow can make the head flex forward, increasing stress on the lower cervical vertebrae and may accelerate degeneration of the cervical spine. Bad habits like watching TV with a high-back pillow for a long time, long periods of using the internet, or lying while playing on your phone can also stretch the cervical spine over time, gradually reducing the natural curve, making it straight, or even reversing it.
5. Affects intelligence
Phones emit relatively strong radiation, including both screen radiation and signal reception radiation.The blood in the human body needs to maintain a balance of positive and negative electric charges. The radiation from screens can have a slight impact on this balance. Although it is not significant, it is still harmful. Over time, it can lead to a decrease in the body's immunity, cause fatigue, nausea, and other adverse reactions. Prolonged use of mobile phones can also affect eyesight. It is recommended to use your phone less before going to bed at night. In addition, the radiation from phone signal reception can affect the human nervous system, and long-term exposure can reduce intelligence.
6. Skin Damage: The radiation from mobile phones should not be underestimated. When people use mobile phones, they are very close to the face, which can have some effects on the skin. It is uncertain whether it will cause spots, but it is definitely not beneficial for the skin and can easily lead to acne.
7. Finger Numbness: Frequent pressing and thumb soreness. Excessive phone use, such as frequently sending messages, can lead to symptoms like thumb soreness, numbness, or swelling.
8. Allergies: Mobile phones can cause allergies. Some people experience unexplained skin allergies shortly after using a phone. Upon investigation, it is discovered that certain metals, such as nickel on the phone, are to blame.
