December 3, 2012--Sleeping With Facebook

Of course I was skeptical.

I like to think of myself as a smart person with a dumb phone. One of those flip phones that is useful only to make and receive old-fashion, actual telephone calls and, if absolutely necessary, a text message.

About the latter, I have finally come to know how to receive them but not really how to respond much less text anyone. Those with pictures attached cause me to have an anxiety attack

You get the picture.

And so when a cousin, over morning coffee, told me about how a growing percentage of smartphone people are sleeping with them turned on so they can receive messages at all hours and, if they have a particularly vivid dream, can share it with their Facebook "friends," I was skeptical.

"Why would anyone spoil a perfectly good night's sleep?" I asked.

"I don't know about that but I do know it's true."

And since she is a sophisticated marketing consultant, knowledgeable about cutting edge things such as data mining, I needed to take her seriously; and, with her guidance, when I got home, did a little on-line research and, yes, she was right--it seems that more folks these days are going to bed with a smartphone than a lover.

I came upon the results of a study that found--

• 90% of 18-29 year olds sleep with their smartphones

• 1 in 3 people would rather give up sex than their phone

• 95% of people use the phone for something just before going to bed

• Half the people check their phones immediately if they wake up during the night

But unfortunately it seems our bodies haven't yet adapted to the changes:

• 63% of people aren't getting enough sleep

• Too much screen time reduces melatonin, the chemical that makes you sleep

• Not sleeping makes you stressed and depressed

• Sleeping fewer than 6 hours a night raises your heart attack risk by 50%

Sounds dangerous to me. 

So I'll continue to check my Facebook page when I'm fully awake. I'm not getting enough sleep as it is.

When I checked Facebook the other day after getting caffeinated, one "friend" reported "still feeling blissful from my yoga session this morning." I was pleased to hear this but was happy not to have lost sleep over it.

But another posted--

"If you're reading this, consider yourself LOVED . . . very loved."

Considering all my tossing and turning the night before, maybe I would have benefited from receiving this one in real time. Being uppercase LOVED doesn't happen every day. Or night.