Blue Light Blues

As we learn more about exactly how blue light disrupts our natural ability to produce Melatonin, and in turn robs us from the sleep we need, more products are popping up that claim to help us overcome our sleepless nights. The idea has been around since 1958 in regards to marine animals, however it has made a comeback in the Digital Renaissance that we currently reside.

The concept is, any blue-tinted light that your brain processes after a certain hour of the day actually tricks your brain into thinking it’s much earlier in the day than it really is. This delays the Melatonin production in your brain and, in turn, the normal chemical function of a healthy brain. We need Melatonin to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

The main culprit of this deficiency is gazing upon your glorious cell phone before you go to bed. Watching television or screen time in front of a computer also can trick the brain.

So, instead of picking up a book (remember those) an hour before bedtime, technology has begun to catch up with the preliminary research.

Backyard astronomers have always used a flashlight with a red-tinted filter to make their way around their outdoor workspaces, as the red wavelength is easier on the eyes. Instead of a normal flashlight, which would cause the eyes to constantly readjust, a red-tinted light is a happy medium between seeing what you are doing in the dark night sky and not disrupting your sight.

So now we have a range of accessories and Apps to help filter that nasty blue light out. One company now sells Orange-Tinted glasses as a way to reduce those blue waves, while also allowing oneself to look totally cool like Bono from U2. Another App developer has a free product called “Twilight”, an Android App that can be programmed to gradually eliminate the blue light from your screen at certain times of the day. I use this app on a daily basis and it makes nighttime browsing easier on the eyes. It seems to do what it advertises… I even find myself dreaming more and feeling a bit more rested on a day-to-day basis.

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So while the science is still streaming in, it does seem that living in these technological times has some downsides. Our sleep shouldn’t be affected, however it’s obvious that it is.

Have you tried any “Blue Light” apps or products? If so, let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

– Andrew Rhoads

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Further Reading:

US National Library of Medicine: “What’s in a Color? The Unique Human Health Benefits of Blue Light”

Harvard Studies

Twilight App

 

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