The Impact of Blue Light on Sleep

Sleep is essential for humans to lead a healthy and accomplished life. Unfortunately, modern technology has made it increasingly difficult to get those essential seven to nine hours of restful sleep. Blue light has been proven to be the most detrimental to our sleep patterns, containing more energy and a shorter wavelength than other colors. Blue light suppresses melatonin production in the brain, making it harder for us to fall and stay asleep, leading to poor quality sleep.

It’s not just screens that are a source of blue light; fluorescent or LED lighting sources are also plentiful with blue light. Nowadays, most homes are equipped with some sort of LED lighting, including the popular CFL bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs are no different either, and the blue light emitted from them is no less detrimental.

Exposure to blue light can easily be avoided in order to get proper rest. By putting your phone away and investing in special glasses that filter out blue light, you can sleep better. Wearing blue light filtering glasses two hours before going to bed can reduce melatonin suppression and help you sleep better.

Blue Light Exposure and Screen Time

Technology is an integral part of our lives; it’s hard to avoid using the myriad of devices we have at our disposal. Screens are probably the most common source of blue light as we usually spend hours in front of them, be it on our laptops, tablets or phones. The artificial blue light contributes to disrupted melatonin production – and therefore to poor quality of sleep – when used close to bedtime. The closer we use these devices to bedtime, the harder it is for us to get the restful sleep we need.

In order to mitigate the effects of this artificial blue light, some applications offer a night shift features that autodetect the time, with warmer colours replacing the usual cooler whites and blues this feature can be enabled in a laptop or phone’s settings.

Fluorescent and LED Lighting

Though screens are the main source of blue light, it’s important to remember that fluorescent and LED lighting can be just as detrimental to our sleep. Fluorescent bulbs, often found in commercial settings, such as offices or classrooms, emit large amounts of blue light.

LEDs, on the other hand, aren’t any better. With their abundance in homes and the rise in popularity of smart bulbs, LED lights have multiplied in their usage. They contain a considerable amount of blue light which, like with screens, suppresses melatonin production. If possible, you should avoid using them close to bedtime.

In conclusion, blue light can significantly reduce our sleep quality, especially when coming from fluorescent or LED lighting sources. It’s important to be mindful of our exposure to blue light, especially before bedtime. Taking simple steps like avoiding screens or enabling night shift mode can help us get better quality sleep.

Good Sleep Habits:

• Turn off all screens two hours before bedtime.
• Avoid fluorescent and LED lights as much as possible.
• Invest in blue light filtering glasses.
• Enable night shift mode on all screens.
• Keep a regular sleep-wake schedule.

Conclusion

Blue light has been proven to have a detrimental effect on our sleep. It’s important to be mindful of our exposure to blue light, especially when it’s coming from screens, fluorescent or LED lights. Through simple steps such as avoiding screens or investing in blue light filtering glasses, we can help ensure we get the restful sleep we need.