Feeling sleepy? Thank Facebook.
According to a new study, social media is helping to make us exhausted -- with overuse of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others affecting our mental well-being.
Therapists say social media has created a new sense of impulsivity and urgency, and that it can make us feel overwhelmed by what is happening in the world.
“Social media can run the gamut from being fabulously uplifting to being totally depressing and exhausting,” says Dr. Patricia Bratt, a therapist and psychoanalyst based in the New York City-New Jersey area. “And this applies to all ages."
All of these fears can be fatiguing and impact how we sleep.
Sleep apnea and poor diet are other common culprits of fatigue. And then there is the most obvious cause of all: not enough sleep, which often goes hand in with overwork.
Another professional included in the report suggests we turn off out social outlets completely.
“Set a time, say 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., when you turn off your computer and TV screens,” the doctor suggests. “We aren’t supposed to be receiving and processing information 24/7. Stop. Take a pause. You want to sleep better? Go sit under a tree and read a book.”