Entertainment takes different forms which may be good for you. But have you ever considered its dangers? How bad can it be from having fun to experiencing serious problems, including lack of sleep? Well, it can be very bad, especially in situations where there is abuse or overuse.
Online gambling, for instance, has become the talk of town for some years now. Its concept is such a unique one, i.e., allowing people to access a wide range of casino games or sports markets on their mobile phones, anywhere and anytime. The comfort and convenience are unmatched, reducing the need to visit a physical gambling location (or casino). However, while this happens, what does this mean for your health?
This article explores the negative impacts of online gambling on your mental health, sleep patterns, and general well-being.
24/7 Gambling and Accessibility
Usually, traditional land-based casinos are known to operate at specific hours, which means you can only access them during their open schedules. It could be between morning and noon or till a particular time in the evening. However, this isn’t the same with online casinos.
If someone ever mentioned online gambling, one of the things that would definitely come to mind is 24/7 gaming. It is an avenue for playing games any time of the day as long as resources, i.e., smartphone or pc and an internet connection is available. Due to this nature of convenience, there is potential harm because some people would rather sacrifice resting hours to gamble in, say, a sweepstakes casino.
In the worst-case scenario, many online gamblers find themselves playing games deep into the night just in an attempt to win big. In the process, they compromise their sleep schedules and their quality of life. Studies show that there is a relationship between gambling severity and sleep – addictive gambling leading into late nights and disrupted sleep patterns often increases the risk of insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Physiological Impact of Online Gaming On Sleep
As mentioned earlier, online gambling affects the quality of a person’s life, but a more precise way to put it is the physiological impact on sleep.
It is not surprising that online gambling may affect someone’s mental health in various ways and that is because the brain is actively involved in the process. There is a substance called dopamine which is often released when the brain’s natural reward system is activated. When this happens, it creates a feeling of excitement, which clearly shows that you are enjoying the game.
However, in a situation where you don’t get enough sleep and there is an overstimulation of this hormone, it may be difficult to transition to sleep when you want to. This difficulty in sleeping often results in increased frustration, anticipation, and stress.
Sometimes, this lack of sleep triggers impulsive behavior and repetitive actions. It can be difficult trying to correct yourself back to normal. So, you find yourself logging off from the game but constantly thinking of what to do and then return to it again just so your brain could feed that missing piece. This is when it turns into addiction gambling.
Online Gambling and Circadian Rhythm
Our bodies operate on a circadian rhythm model – a 24-hour cycle. Within this rhythm, there is the time to engage in other activities and finally the time to sleep. If there is any disruption in one part of the cycle, it affects the others.
For instance, if you choose to play games online while you are supposed to sleep at night, your body automatically adjusts in such a way that you sleep during the day. When this happens, your circadian rhythm has been altered.
Now, this doesn’t just occur; there are usually precursors. For example, the blue light exposure from your mobile device or pc suppresses a hormone called melatonin, which is responsible for sleep. During prolonged exposure, there is a delay in the onset of sleep, impacting your circadian rhythm, and affecting your sleep quality.
How To Improve Sleep as an Online Gambler
Becoming a victim of poor sleep quality as an online gambler isn’t exactly ideal. You need to be able to balance out your time of gaming and that of resting. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no better time to win in gambling – just because you stay up at night doesn’t increase your chances.
Here are five tips we think would help to improve your sleeping pattern/schedule:
● Set Time Limits
One of the best things you can do for yourself so that your sleep schedule doesn’t get affected by gambling is to set time limits. You need to choose a time of the day other than the time you sleep at night for your gamble sessions. To remain accountable, you can set an alarm or consult with the casino operator to set time limits to enable you to control your gambling habit.
● Always Wind-Down
Choosing another wind-down routine is also a great idea. You should find other things to do, such as reading, meditating, socializing with friends and family, etc., to help you curb your gambling addiction. If all you think about doing is gaming, there is no way it won’t affect the quality of your sleep.
● Reduce Blue Light Exposure
As previously mentioned, melatonin is suppressed by blue light and the only way to get rid of that is to limit exposure. You can either do this yourself by choosing times of the day you want to spend time on your mobile device or setting a screen time. With the latter, your device only allows you for a number of hours during the day and once that is exceeded, you don’t get to use it anymore.
● Gamble Responsibly
This is self-explanatory. It helps you to be in control and protects your integrity as an online gambler.
●Seek Professional Help
If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation such as addiction gambling and poor sleep schedule, you should seek professional help. You can check with the casino for some recommendations.
Conclusion
Gambling can be fun, but when it starts affecting your quality of life, it isn’t. You may find out that something so entertaining has ruined many people’s lives and you aren’t about to be the next. Like we suggested, only choose reasonable times of the day to gamble and ensure that it doesn’t affect the rest of the activities you have. Above are tips that we think should help; you can choose to follow them to maintain a good work-life balance and protect your physical and mental health.
