7 Reasons To Stop Using Your Cell Phone As An Alarm Clock
Most people use their cell phone as an alarm clock . Its use, however, can be counterproductive to health. Today we will tell you how it can affect your quality of life.
Few things exist today that cannot be done from our mobile. Much of life has been built around these devices, to the point of using the cell phone as an alarm clock.
A good part of the population uses their smartphone to set the morning alarm. It is a very widespread habit, so that many are convinced that it is the best channel to get up at dawn.
Directly or indirectly, the use of the telephone can affect your quality of life, your sleep patterns and even your emotional and psychological stability. Are you worried about overexposure to these equipments? Read on to consider using an alternative from now on.
Reasons not to use your cell phone as an alarm clock
Are there valid reasons to stop using the cell phone as an alarm clock? Yes, there are. Some are backed by scientific criteria and compelling enough for you to reduce their use in these contexts.
1. Reduce your quality of sleep
There are several studies that show that the use of mobile phones before and during bedtime alters sleep patterns and quality. The problem lies, in principle, in the temptation to have it available to use at the slightest sign of insomnia.
This works in 2 ways: prolong the use of the mobile phone beyond the usual hours of going to bed and use it late at night when you cannot fall asleep. The device will always be there and this is a temptation that is assimilated without realizing the problem.
There are other ways that mobile can alter your sleep patterns. For example, we know from studies that the blue wave spectrum of screens can reduce the secretion of melatonin, the one responsible for regulating the states of sleep and wakefulness.
2. You expose yourself to electromagnetic fields
Electromagnetic fields (known by their English nomenclature EMFs ) surround everyday life. They are present in solar radiation, power lines, medical tests (such as MRIs) and technological devices. Your smartphone is not free from producing EMFs.
Although the levels are kept in a safe spectrum for the body (according to the international ICNIRP guidelines), it has been shown that there is a relationship between sleep disturbances and exposure to these fields, natural or artificial.
This happens due to overexposure, since other appliances in the home, work and public spaces emit radiation. Most of the time it is done in safe spectra, although this does not prevent you from presenting symptoms such as the following:
- Insomnia.
- Tiredness or lack of concentration.
- Irritability.
- Headaches.
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and dizziness
To avoid the above, the ideal is that you reduce contact with the device before and during sleep hours. This is why stopping using the cell phone as an alarm clock is a great idea, as well as disconnecting equipment that does not fulfill a function during the night.
3. It is not suitable for your mental health
There is a relationship between the use of the mobile phone during the night with the lack of sleep that leads to depression and anxiety, as shown by several studies. The temporary or permanent interruption of night rest cycles can affect mental health.
Actually, depression is a characteristic symptom of smartphone addiction . As with other types of addictions, the person who suffers from it is not aware. The rise of social media has led to chronic dependence on mobile devices.
Whether it is your case or not, it is always good to disconnect for a couple of hours from the stress and anxiety that technology produces. This is further reinforced if those hours are those that correspond to your rest. If you sleep an average of 7-8 hours, you can wake up the next day with recharged energy to face the day.
4. Intrudes into a healthy relationship
There is a negative relationship between cell phone use and dissatisfaction in the partner. Many times, due to work, family or academic commitments, the moments before going to sleep are the only moments in which couples find a space to share.
This is truncated if one or both are insistently checking the phone. This is one more reason to stop using the cell phone as an alarm clock, since we can fall into the practice known as phubbing .
5. It is not the best option for your visual health
The light from mobile screens can trigger a series of symptoms that limit your visual health. Blurred vision, eyestrain, focus problems, watery eyes, redness, and dryness are just some of the downsides of using the device in low-light or high-light settings.
We interact throughout the day with computers, tablets and mobiles, so that the vision ends the day with some overexposure. The study of its repercussions has been of wide interest, so it is recommended to reduce the use of mobile phones during rest hours.
6. You may not hear the alarm
Leaving aside the factors that condition your health, it is time to focus on those of the functional plane. How many times have you woken up in the middle of the night thinking that it is time to go to work?
In general, this happens when there is no confidence in the device, either because you fear that you have not heard it or because you doubt if you have set the alarm clock properly. Inadvertently, many people regulate the sound of their smartphones before sleeping, in principle to avoid annoying notifications.
This can determine whether or not you hear the alarm. Another important criterion is the tone you choose to wake up. It is usual to opt for high, pleasant and melodious. Although this has a positive impact on how your body reacts when you wake up, if its frequency is low, you will not hear it.
7. The battery may discharge
To this can be added another unpleasant possibility: the battery can discharge and prevent the alarm clock from ringing at the indicated time. It is very common for our devices to end the day with a low battery, due to the intensive use that they are given.
If you inadvertently leave it on, it is possible that it will discharge during the night and the alarm cannot be activated. It is something that has surely happened to you more than once, so it is another incentive to stop using the cell phone as an alarm clock.
What should my alarm clock be?
If mobile is not the best option when you wake up, then what can you use? You have several options available, among which we highlight the following:
- Alarm clock: it is the best alternative, since it has been designed for it. It does not distract you with extra functions, it does not disturb your sleep and you are not in danger of not listening to it.
- Dawn light: if your day starts after sunrise, you can use the first glimpses of dawn. Leave a couple of windows open and you will see how you wake up in spirits, without disturbing alarm noises and with greater disposition.
- Instinct: You may know someone who trains to wake up on instinct and you wonder how they can achieve it. The body is built based on habits, so you must train it to wake up on its own at a certain time with the help of its biological clock.
In case you cannot stop using your cell phone as an alarm clock and the alternatives are impractical, there is a solution that you can appeal. You just have to modify the use you give your smartphone before sleeping, so you can minimize the negative repercussions.
In this sense, you can try the following:
- Set a volume and alarm tone that you can hear without limitations.
- Place the mobile at a distance of three meters from the bed. This way you avoid the temptation to review it at midnight.
- Charge your battery to avoid complications.
- Turn off the data and the Wi-Fi network so that notifications do not disturb you. Do not put it in airplane mode, as this prevents them from communicating with you through emergency calls.
- Set at least two backup alarms.
We can not use the cell phone as an alarm clock
Remember to plan your schedules very well so that you can correctly prepare your routine before leaving home. If you follow these tips, you will be able to partially counteract the disadvantages presented. If you want to try an alternative for a while, we invite you to start with the alarm clock.
