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Did you know that using your computer or cell phone before bed can totally throw off your sleep schedule? In a recent study on teens done by University of Bergen in Norway, it’s been proven that the more time you spend looking at your screens before bed, the less zzz’s you’re gonna get. In fact, if you’re texting your girls or browsing Facebook an hour before shut-eye, you’re 52 percent more likely to take over an hour to fall asleep (that’s a lot of wasted snooze time).

So, why exactly does looking at a screen disturb your slumber?

One reason is simply because screen time eats into your sleep time. The more time you spend scanning Pinterest at night, the less hours you have to sleep. Less obvious? The bright light coming from your device messes with circadian rhythm- your brain’s system of telling you when you should be asleep and awake. Your cell or laptop is actually tricking your brain into thinking its daytime.

Break the habit, babe!

One foolproof way to get more sleep is to put your phone and computer on the other side of the room when you’re ready to hit the hay. If it’s out of reach, you’ll nod off way quicker (and you won’t get woken up by texts or other notifications).

Another option is to read a book in bed instead of your Twitter feed. Reading before bed can be a natural sleep aid, and the soft pages are better for your tired eyes than a bright screen.

Bonus tip: cut down your screen time during the day, too. The University’s study also found that teens who spent more than four hours a day on their phone or computer were three and a half times likelier to sleep fewer than five hours a night (you need about eight to feel fully rested - yikes).

So drop that cell, girl. You’ll be snoozin’ before ya know it.

What non-techie activity helps you sleep? Can you bear not to browse before bed? Let us know in the comments.

Photo courtesy of: news.yahoo.com 

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