Doomscrolling Before Bed? 5 Ways It’s Wrecking Your Health!
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Let’s explore five ways doomscrolling is bad for your health—and why you might want to put your phone down before bed.
1. Increases Anxiety
Constant exposure to negative news triggers stress hormones like cortisol. This makes people feel on edge, even when they’re safe at home. Over time, this stress can contribute to heart disease, digestive problems, and even weakened immunity (American Psychological Association, 2021).
2. Wastes Time
Instead of finishing that book, getting fresh air, or enjoying a hobby, doomscrolling keeps you stuck in an endless loop. Research shows the average person spends over 2.5 hours a day on social media (Statista, 2023), much of it consuming negative content.
3. Ruins Sleep and Dental Health
The blue light from screens tricks the brain into staying awake, making it harder to fall asleep. Worse, sleep deprivation is linked to bruxism (teeth grinding) and TMJ (jaw pain and stiffness). Lack of sleep weakens your body’s ability to repair itself, leading to more aches and pains.
4. Creates Negative Thinking
Seeing bad news all the time makes it feel like the world is only getting worse, even when positive things are happening. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness, which affect both mental and physical health.
5. Hurts Mental Health
Studies link doomscrolling to higher rates of depression and anxiety (National Institutes of Health, 2022). The brain wasn’t meant to process bad news from around the world 24/7!
Where to Get More Info:
• American Psychological Association – www.apa.org
• National Sleep Foundation – www.sleepfoundation.org
• Your Local Dentist – Talk to Dr. Mas’ood Cajee, DDS, MPH in Manteca about stress-related dental issues.
DID YOU KNOW…?
🦷 The human jaw can exert up to 200 pounds of pressure while grinding teeth in sleep! That’s stronger than a pit bull’s bite force.
📱 The term “doomscrolling” was first used around 2018 and became widely recognized during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#dentistmanteca #ddsmanteca #bracesmanteca
