Biological Clock Affected

• In the May 2003 issue of the "Journal of Applied Physiology," researchers tested the effects of night computer use with the production of melatonin and other physiological responses that affect a person's biological clock. Participants 25 years and older were given a specific sleep schedule and completed exciting and boring computer tasks set against bright and dark computer screens. Researchers found that working in front of a brighter computer monitor caused internal body temperatures to be higher than normal when the task was performed against a darker computer monitor. Based on these results, researchers believe that performing an exciting task before going to sleep may cause sleep problems because the normal melatonin level is greatly affected.
  
  

Sleep Deprivation

• When you work from home, it's easy to get into the habit of working more hours than you should, or working odd hours in the early morning or late evening. This often interferes with your regular sleep routine. After a few weeks, you begin feeling irritable, sluggish and unmotivated because your body is finally reacting to the lack of sleep you've been receiving. To prevent this, set a regular work schedule and stick to it. When your body becomes accustomed to getting a certain amount of sleep every night, your body suffers from sleep deprivation and your energy level and performance can be affected.
  
  

Ongoing Sleep Problems

• Dr. Anuj Chandra of Chattanooga's Advanced Center for Sleep Disorders conducted an annual Sleep in America poll, published by the National Sleep Foundation. In this study, researchers concluded that nighttime use of technology among younger populations seemed to cause more sleep problems during the day and occurred in higher rates among younger participants. Researchers found that 61 percent of participants with ongoing sleep problems used laptops or computers a minimum of a few times a week at least an hour before bedtime. Fifty-five percent of generation Z and 47 percent of generation Y stated they surf the Web almost every night within an hour of bedtime.
  
  

Lights on Computer

• Even when you're no longer using your computer, you could still be losing sleep. Most computers have a light on their exterior that stays on, even when it is turned off. These lights can disturb your ability to sleep because they continuously release a small amount of light, which interferes with your biological clock. This artificial light has the same effect as natural light. To prevent your computer from interfering with your sleep, move it to another room before bedtime and you may notice that you sleep better.