Many of us simply can't go to sleep without checking our smartphones.<br />However, new research indicates that doing so,... could have long-term impact on our mental health.<br />Oh Soo-young has more.<br />Scrolling through social media or watching an online video before you sleep are activities that could lead to depression or anxiety.<br />That's according to researchers at Seoul-based Sungshin Women's University, who conducted a study on the effects of "bedtime procrastination." <br />The use of smartphones was seen as one of the biggest reasons for delaying sleep.<br />A survey on 106 people in their 20s and 30s showed those who put off their bedtime used their smartphones almost five times longer than the average person.<br />They also tended to use their devices for an hour longer every day.<br />The research team says these pre-bedtime distractions could impact your health and mental well-being,... increasing your chance of becoming depressed by 25 percent,... and developing anxiety by 14 percent.<br />Also, activities that delay your sleep increase the risk of insomnia by 41 percent.<br />And that risk is even higher at 82 percent for those who use their smartphones before they sleep.<br />To reduce the chance of developing such long-term mental health complications,... the research team stresses the importance of keeping a regular bedtime.<br />The study was published in the November edition of U.S.-based journal SLEEP.<br />Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.<br />
