Sleep expert says shut off computer, mobile phone every evening

By Andreas Heimann Jul 1, 2010, 12:43 GMT

Berlin - People who use computers and mobile phones on the job should make a ritual of switching them both off in the evening, a psychologist and sleep researcher said.

Professor Juergen Zulley of Regensburg said people who check email and surf the internet shortly before going to bed risk having a problem falling asleep.

'People should set a clear limit to work-related computer and mobile phone usage,' said Zulley in an interview with the German Press Agency dpa. 'Ideally, they should create a ritual of turning off their mobile phone, for example, every evening at a quarter past eight.'

The way to get to sleep is relaxation, Zulley said. Everything that impedes relaxation also impede the ability to fall asleep.

'Maintaining a distance from the day-to-day work world makes it easier to transition from a tense to a relaxed state,' Zulley said. 'Many people go to bed with the wrong partner: Stress.'

Working late into the evening on the computer is linked to stress, both on the eyes and on the mind, Zulley said. A mobile phone that remains on also creates a certain pressure.

'Just the expectation that a call might come in could be enough to cause pressure,' he said, adding that he always turns off his mobile phone in the evening. 'It's relaxing to know that no more calls can be received.'

Work-related concerns also play a role in sleep difficulties in the middle of the night. People who suddenly wake up at night and can't fall asleep again should interrupt this pattern as soon as possible.

'It's always more irritating at night,' said Zulley. Therefore, he recommends that people write down things they think of in the middle of the night that must be taken care of the next day at work. Afterwards, he said they should set aside the thought so that it won't continue to bother them as intensively.