Written by Dr Sandra Miranda, ND
I was preparing a talk on Natural solutions for insomnia and I came across a lot of research on the effects of blue light so I thought I would write a blog on this.
First of all, do you know what blue light includes? Yes, you are right- it includes any digital screens like your TV, computer, laptop, smart phone and tablets. It also includes any other electronic device, fluorescent and LED lighting.
Blue light has the same wavelength as midday sun!! This is what we are exposed to right before going to bed and then we wonder why we are not having a restful sleep or why are we having a hard time falling asleep. This type of wavelength will suppress the production of a hormone called melatonin. The job of melatonin is to give our brain the message that it is time to go to sleep. Melatonin also helps us get into a deeper sleep so that we can feel better rested in the morning.
Recommendation – Avoid any blue light exposure 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
Who can benefit from this recommendation? Anyone with the following problems:
- Having a hard time falling asleep
- Having a hard time maintaining sleep
- Waking up too early
- Chronically tired even though you think you have slept enough hours
- Sleepiness throughout the day
So how about trying this out… let’s turn off all our electronic devices 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime so that we can have a better night sleep. Who’s with me?!!
