Light exposure stops the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. Staying in Bed Too Long: If you wake up during the night and cannot fall back asleep, experts recommend getting out of bed after 15 to 30 minutes.
I recommended one hour after waking up, but ultimately, you should choose whatever timing makes sense for your mornings. Think of something else to do instead. Maybe take a walk, maybe do some journaling, maybe make a nice breakfast—just make sure you have a plan, so you don't default to picking up your phone.
For starters, getting up earlier can improve confidence, Snowden says, because it can feel like an accomplishment. And there's something to be said for not constantly feeling like you're in a rush, which only elevates stress levels and negatively impacts mental health.
Since your mind is fresh, you are well rested and ready for a new day and a new set of challenges, reading in the morning can help you learn more, quicker. You will retain more information and you will find it a lot easier to understand new concepts.
Eye Strain and Headaches - Too much time spent looking at screens can cause fatigue or discomfort in your eyes as well as dimmed vision. Glare on screens and the brightness of the display can place further strain on your eyes. Eventually, this strain can lead to headaches.
Tips: Stop using electronic devices 30 minutes before bed. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that you should stop using electronic devices, like your cellphone, at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Instead, grab the book that's been tucked away in your nightstand and start reading before bed.
"As soon as you wake up after a night of sleep, you should get out of bed. If you lie awake in bed, your brain links being awake to being in bed," according to Professor Matthew Walker from University of California Berkeley.
"The overall best is if you can wake up naturally because you're done sleeping," he said. On the other hand, if you're waking up early on just a few hours of sleep, you should probably try and squeeze in some more shuteye.
Your levels of dopamine and cortisol are highest in the morning. These hormones are what make you feel happy, motivated, and energized. Using your smartphone first thing in the morning spikes your levels unnecessarily high, lowering your natural baseline throughout the day.
So how much screen time is too much? And (maybe most important) — how do we scale back? "Most experts agree that adults should limit screen time to less than two hours per day outside of work-related activities," Dr. Moghaddam says.
Spend three to four hours daily without any screens
Another way to build a healthier relationship with screens is to protect the time you spend without one. People should spend at least three to four hours each day completely detached from screens, Christakis says.
Signs and symptoms of smartphone addiction. There is no specific amount of time spent on your phone, or the frequency you check for updates, or the number of messages you send or receive that indicates an addiction or overuse problem.
The Benefits of Reading in Bed
Reading can help reduce anxiety because it distracts us. And that's no small feat: When dealing with anxiety, distraction from life stressors is a reasonable, evidence-based intervention. It's also relaxing, regardless of whether you're battling anxiety or just battling too much stress.
Balance your mental health- Research has proven that those who wake up early have shown better mental health symptoms. They are optimistic, satisfied and feel positive about situations. It also lowers the chance of mental illnesses which is usually found in those who go to sleep late and wake up late.
Since our batteries have just been recharged after a good night's sleep, mornings are usually the best time to read and understand. We are very likely to retain more information when reading in the morning as well, also because of the fact that our brain is usually energized after just having woken up.
Nearly two-thirds of successful CEOs say they wake up at 6 a.m. or earlier: 'It's just a matter of establishing routine' Tom Huddleston Jr. You don't have to wake up early to be successful just because someone like Apple CEO Tim Cook is up at 3:45 a.m.
School-age children should go to bed between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. Teenagers, for adequate sleep, should consider going to bed between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Adults should try to go to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. If you wake up at 6am, to get 7-9 hours of sleep you should be going to bed between 9pm and 11pm.