Screen Apnea - What is it and what to do?

Have you ever heard of screen apnea? It comes from the English “screen apnea” and is increasingly common. The term “apnea” means voluntary or involuntary interruption of the flow of air to the lungs. Screen apnea is the interruption of breathing while you are in front of a screen and, according to several studies, you are doing it right now! 80% of people hold their breath or breathe badly when sitting in front of their monitor. Screen apnea prevents you from breathing properly, which can cause exhaustion, anxiety and a range of stress-related illnesses and even impair professional performance.

Most people spend an average of ten hours a day sitting, whether in a car, on the sofa or in front of a screen. And the human body was not designed to be in that inactive position for these long periods of time. Doing so can reduce life expectancy, as it increases the risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases by 85%. Adding to this the consequences of screen apnea, it becomes a worrying scenario.

In 2007, Linda Stone, an American writer and consultant, noticed that as soon as she started working on her laptop, she started breathing less or holding her breath. When he started paying attention over the next few days, he realized that it was a recurring situation. However, as soon as he stood up and moved a little, his breathing became completely different.

During a seven-month observation period, Stone tested about 200 people in his dining room, using a device that measures pulse and heart rate variability. While doing his research, he spoke with scholars, clinicians, psychologists and neuroscientists to better understand what happens to our physiology when we hold our breath. At the end of her study, Linda Stone called this phenomenon email apnea or screen apnea - temporary interruption of breathing or shallow breathing when in front of a screen.

This study gave rise to several research studies on the subject, which confirmed what Stone had concluded: around 80% of people suffer from screen apnea and the remaining 20% ​​who do not present the same symptoms are individuals who, at some point in their lives, learned breathing techniques, as is the case with musicians, dancers, pilots or high-performance athletes.

There are some tips to reduce the impact of screen apnea and here are some of them:

1- Pay attention to your breathing

2- Avoid sitting for many hours at a time

3 - Do physical exercise

4 - Have a chair with a back - the more comfortable, the better

5 - Take frequent breaks

6 - Avoid using your cell phone or other screen during these breaks

Ideally, you should take several breaks throughout the day and exercise. And to improve your exercise experience, we have an essential accessory in store: headphones and earphones at low prices. Visit our Headphones page and choose yours now.