Apparently, your brain has a way in which it usually wakes up and this starts with your cortisol levels rising slowly, per Dr. Jason Singh. And one of the sneaky ways your cell phone is hurting your health is by getting in the way of this natural process.
“When you first wake up, your cortisol levels slowly start to rise to help fully awake you and get your body ready for the day. But looking at your phone first thing fires up your brain and triggers a rush of dopamine which is a feel-good chemical connected to reward and pleasure. This dopamine hit combined with looking at a light-emitting device can essentially trick your brain into feeling fully awake before your body is even ready,” said the physician.
What you’re essentially doing by getting that dopamine rush first thing in the morning is compromising the natural waking pattern of your body. “This whole pattern completely undermines your body’s natural waking transition and cortisol rise. The abrupt dopamine spike disrupts stable cortisol patterns which can then negatively impact energy levels, mood, and focus throughout the day,” added Dr. Singh. Turns out, you could also be compromising your memory and problem-solving skills by checking your phone first thing in the a.m., and NHS surgeon, Dr. Karan Raj explained how this happens with something else that goes on in your brain.
