Have you ever heard of the 3-2-1 bedtime rule? According to this, we shouldn’t eat or drink 3 hours before bed, work 2 hours before bedtime and use electronic gadgets 1 hour before we go to sleep.

While this bedtime routine’s food and work aspect are often easy to follow, we fail in the third aspect. Now, you must be sitting here giving an excuse, “But I can’t seem to fall asleep without scrolling on my phone.”

What if we said that besides disrupting your sleep schedule, the prolonged exposure to the blue light from these gadgets before your bedtime is also responsible for causing male infertility? Sounds shocking, doesn’t it?

A recent study clarifies the reason, the possible implications, and why you need to avoid late-night usage of gadgets in the future.

Reports from the World Health Organization suggest that around 15-20% of the global population struggles with infertility. Out of that, up to 40% of the complications are triggered by male factors.

The study we are highlighting in this article was shared at the Virtual SLEEP 2020 meeting, where the results from the research indicate that prolonged late-night usage of gadgets is associated with poor sperm quality and male infertility risks.

Reports from the study indicate that the conclusions were due to the effect of the gadget’s radiation, especially smartphones, iPads, laptops, and tablets.

The study assessed three primary factors contributing to male fertility – sperm motility, sperm progressive motility, and sperm concentration. These factors were monitored with the radiations that come from the various electronic devices and media devices.

Upon a closer look, the research found that the prolonged and greater exposure of the short-wavelength light (SWL) emitted from the radiation of these devices impacts sperm motility exponentially.

The researchers also found that late-night usage of these gadgets directly impacts the sleep schedule and quality of sleep of the male participants, which also impacted the sperm count and the progressive motility of the sperm.

So, in short, it is not just the blue light emissions from these devices that one needs to be aware of. For men, the radiation from these gadgets can alter fertility and contribute to the rising risks of infertility rates globally.

Further reports from the study suggest that excessive exposure to this radiation also contributes to DNA damage and fragmentation of the sperm cells, which affect their ability to reach their destination and fertilize the egg in the female reproductive tract.

But, does this mean that a person should completely ban the usage of gadgets and electronic devices from their life? According to the researchers, controlled usage of these gadgets doesn’t impose any risks. However, the berating impacts of these entertainment devices emerge during the evening or late-night period.