How Smartphones Keep You Awake

This week Reactions is looking at the science and chemistry behind your smartphone that keeps you awake at night.

Your smartphone addiction isn't helping you sleep. In fact, an obscure chemical reaction may be keeping you awake. The latest Reactions video looks at the process that connects your late-night texts to your lack of sleep and how to improve your sleep hygiene.

Your smartphone, tablet and other devices emit large quantities of blue light wavelengths. This tells your body "wake up!" when you should be getting ready to sleep. Your body gets that signal through melanopsin, a protein that hangs out behind your eye and undergoes a chemical change that in turn signals your body's master clock.

So turn off your iPhone long before you go to bed. It'll be there in the morning.

Thanks to Brian Zoltowski of Southern Methodist University.

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[nycytc]

Lol I'm currently watching this at 6:35 in the morning.... I've yet to go to sleep

[rickregala]

so this could be the reason why sometimes when i'm about to sleep or closer my eyes after using smartphones at dawn, i see white light, sometimes this white light wakes me up when im about to fall asleep for a minute

[kadenthakid]

It's 2:52 AM and I'm watching this on my phone aha

[MrClassyKarma]

Get the phone app or desktop program f.lux! It changes the screen brightness and color to match the time of day. I always have it on, but I try my best to avoid screens at night.

[marilynalmaguer]

You guys and buzzfeed made me smart thx!

[Skrapegat]

Does anybody see the subliminal message at 1:45?
It makes me subconciously want to upgrade my PC to Windows 10, now.

[LivFallon]

+Reactions - your video was used a lot in my project-thanks for all your help! I'll send you a picture of it when it is all done (very soon)

[Athrun]

Doesn't explain why I feel sleepy in the day even with all those lights surrounding me

[newdrew]

Is there any difference in using OLED screens?

[LivFallon]

+Reactions, I am doing a science fair project for 8th grade on how smartphones affect sleep and I would like to cite this video as a source. Can you tell me who narrated it and who came up with the information? Thanks!!

[jennychiarillo]

i like how we re all on electronics right now watching this

[jerdawg]

What the hell is a supracreasmatic nucleus? It's the suprachiasmatic nucleus...because it is over the optic chiasm

[werdwerdus]

Twilight for my android phone, and F.lux for my PC

[thatgamerdude]

lol its 1 in the morning and I'm watching this

[jazby-ara]

Just so you know... you spelt supercreasmatic wrong. it is instead 'suprachiasmatic'. my friend and I debated about which spelling was correct for our Community and Family Studies Assessment on this topic using your video a reference.

[ChadTKimball]

gotta stay off my tablet in the middle of the night!

[treybullock]

Him: it's 1:00am
Me: bitch it's 4:30am

[meformuleryearsago]

I use the orange sleep filter on my phone

[carissa]

I just normally have more energy when every bodies zonked, that's a problem... 6:00am to 12:00pm all I wanna do is sleep if I'm not daydreaming that probly explains my bad grades, 12:00 to 3:00 meh I'm alive I guess I have energy not super tired, 3:00pm to 6:00pm hehehehehehehe 6:00pm to 3:00am MOM I BROKE INTO THE MTN DEW AGAIN AND IM NOT EVEN GONNA BOTHER TO ASK IF I CAN HAVE 5 HOUR ENERGY SHES GONNA SAY NO SO OF CORSE I GONNA HAVE SOME TIME TO HIDE MY PHONE AS A BRING IT UP TO MY ROOM AND LOOK ALL TIRED SO WHEN SHE IS ASLEEP THINKING I AM TOO I CAN WATCH VIDS AND JUMP OF THE WALLS 3:00am to 6:00am kinda tired but I can stay up a bit longer...

[LizWilsonArt]

Yet some of us night owl insomniac types continue with the blue light through the wee small hours!