Author: “Smartphone use in the evening, tablet use after bedtime, and television use in the evening were all correlated with the decrease in sperm concentration.“
DARIEN, Ill. – Numerous studies link night use of smartphone or tablet to fall asleep problems. Now, a new study finds yet another compelling reason to avoid such gadgets for bed – at least for men hoping to start a family one day. New research by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine notes a correlation between nightly use of digital media and poor sperm quality.
These preliminary results suggest that the more often a man uses digital devices, both in the evening in general and after bedtime, the more his sperm quality will decrease. Among men surveyed who reported regular and excessive use of electronic devices at night, three measures of sperm quality (concentration, motility and progressive motility) were lower.
For reference, progressive motility refers to the ability of a man’s sperm to “swim” properly. This is of course an essential part of the conception process.
“Evening and after bedtime use of smartphone and tablet was correlated with decline in sperm quality. Furthermore, smartphone use in the evening, tablet use after bedtime, and television use in the evening were all correlated with the decrease in sperm concentration, “says lead researcher Dr. Amit Green in a release. Green leads research and development at Sleep and Fatigue Institute at Assuta Medical Center in Israel.
Sperm quality is also affected by sleep habits
For this study, seed samples were collected from 116 men of different ages (21-59 years old). All participants were already enrolled in a fertility evaluation program. Participants also completed surveys to inquire about their nocturnal routines, sleeping habits, and use of technical devices.
In addition to these main findings, researchers also found a relationship between sperm quality and sleep habits. Men who sleep for longer periods have higher sperm counts and greater progressive motility. Men with “greater sleep”, on the other hand, have lower overall sperm quality.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report these types of correlations between sperm quality and exposure time in light of short wavelengths emitted by digital media, particularly smartphones and tablets, in the evening and after bedtime,” says Green,
The study is published in SLEEP.
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