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NewsMar | 5 | 2018
Scientists have identified a worrisome new form of insomnia: sleeplessness linked to smartphone overexposure.
According to a study published in PLoS ONE, the blue light from a smartphone screen can over-stimulate the brain and interfere with sleep quantity and quality. The researchers used a special phone app to log the number of hours a group of 650 participants spent staring at their smartphone screens and tracked their sleep at night.
They found that participants used their smartphones an average of 38 hours over the month-long study period, and that the more screen time they had, the poorer and shorter their sleep. The effect was particularly noticeable when participants used their smartphones near bedtime. Researchers concluded that reducing screen time, especially before going to bed, can improve sleep duration and quality.
This article originally appeared in Mind, Mood & Memory, a publication of the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital dedicated to maintaining mental fitness from middle age and beyond.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of mental health care. In addition, there is increasing evidence of a sudden need for mental and behavioral health care. As a result, there has been a quick expansion of telemental health.
Daphne J. Holt, MD, PhD, teaches coping skills to help with the overwhelming stress on us during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses how learning resiliency through online training can help us all with our mental health during this stressful time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about universal uncertainty and has been the source of new anxiety and tension for many people. Many report a significant decline in the amount and quality of sleep—the result of poor sleep hygiene, or the habits that help you cultivate a good night’s sleep.
Ron Hirschberg, MD, is a firm believer is the healing power of music. More specifically, the ability of recalling stories and turning them into songs to help improve symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
“Our goal with this triathlon—and the Medicine in Motion group—is to reduce burnout by building community through fitness and philanthropy,” says Logan Briggs, fourth year Harvard Medical School student and co-founder of Medicine in Motion.
On Wednesday, October 14, Greg Fricchione, MD, associate chief of the Department of Psychiatry at Mass General, spoke about how to maintain good mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are five tips from his lecture.
