Internet overload depriving people of sleep August 29, 2013 - 6:40AM Nine out of 10 people are giving up a good night's sleep so they can stay on the internet, a UK study found. Edinburgh: A British survey has found nine out of 10 people are sacrificing a good night's sleep so they can stay in touch on the internet. More than half of two thousand people polled said they went online while in bed trying to sleep and one in five admitted they needed to check their Twitter, Facebook or email accounts because they have a fear of missing out. Just one in 10 described their quality of sleep as good. Research has shown the blue light emitted by devices such as mobile phones and tablets mimics daylight and suppresses production of a brain chemical called melatonin, which helps us sleep. Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, says as technology to keep us connected improves, we're facing a new battle to switch off at night and we should make sure we turn off the technology at least half an hour before bed.