Taking smartphones, iPads to bed could make you an insomniac

As insomnia becomes a serious epidemic, experts have revealed that more than 28 million people do not get at least seven hours a night.

While partying and pulling all-nighters are obvious culprits, researchers are also blaming the use of phones, tablets and TVs before bed.

And some of us are so attached to our gadgets that we even take them to bed with us, the Daily Star reported.

The blue light emitted from the brightly-lit screens meddles with the brain's processing of melatonin - the hormone that regulates and brings on sleepiness.

This then causes millions of us to toss and turn throughout the night and waking up bleary-eyed and exhausted in the morning.

But not getting enough shut-eye can have more serious consequences than just feeling tired the next day.

Psychologist Richard Wiseman from Hertfordshire University said that getting less than seven hours' sleep a night is below the recommended guidelines and is associated with a range of problems including an increased risk of weight gain, heart attacks, diabetes and cancer.

Nearly eight in ten people questioned said that they use their smartphones, laptops and iPads every day.