Here's why you should ditch your smartphone at night

You may have heard that using your smartphone in bed before you go to sleep is messing with your shut eye.

Well, that’s true, and according to a new study, there are even more reasons why those last minute texts and Candy Crush games are keeping you up.

RELATED: 27 horrible things that happen if you don't get enough sleep

It’s called the “dose-response” relationship. According to a new study from the medical journal BMJ Open, the higher your device dosage before bed, the higher your risk of sleeplessness. BMJ Open surveyed almost 10,000 Norwegian teenagers ages 16 to 19.

Reader’s Digest reports that scientists wrote that extensive use was “significantly and positively associated with SOL.” That’s Sleep Onset Latency - or the amount it takes to nod off.

Previous research shows that blue light simulates our brain. This causes us to toss and turn in bed.

So to get a good night’s sleep, ditch the phone an hour before you want to sleep. Try reading a book, writing in a journal, or drinking some tea instead.