Put That Smartphone Down at Night!

Late night usage of your smartphone may kill your productivity for the next day, according to recent research conducted by Russell Johnson, Ph. D., at Michigan State University.

With over half of American adults owning smartphones, it is no wonder that many of us find ourselves checking our phones right before bed and immediately after waking up. According to Johnson, "Because they (smartphones) keep us mentally engaged late into the evening, they make it hard to detach from work so we can relax and fall asleep." By keeping us up later, smartphones invariably affect our productivity the next day. By not getting enough sleep, we commit to a struggle the next day.

In addition to offering a distraction to sleep, smartphones emit blue light which is known to hinder melatonin, a chemical in the body that promotes sleep.

This evidence presents a few options. Either use your smartphone late into the night and risk having a productive day, or shut off the smartphone and risk possibly missing some essential work-related information. Keeping in mind how important sleep is to your health, productivity and overall happiness, it might be best that your turn your phone off at night so you can maximize your productivity during the day.