Is screen light a sleep thief?

Let's Understand the Dark Side of Blue Light - Blue light falls in the high-intensity category and is slightly less strong than UV rays. It has positive effects on daytime functions but is the most disruptive at night. Since it has the shortest wavelength and most energy, it influences alertness, hormone production, and sleep cycles.

Let's Compare Blue Light Exposure;

- During Day - Decreases sleepiness during the day, Increases alertness, Improves memory and reaction times and Regulates sleep-wake cycle.

- During Night - Suppresses melatonin, Increases difficulty falling asleep, Reduces alertness the next morning and Negatively Affects mood.

How does it affect our sleep quality?

Blue light promotes wakefulness during the day & becomes unhelpful at night. Exposure to light before bedtime stops the secretion of melatonin in our body, a hormone that influences our sleep and wake cycle. It stimulates parts of the brain that make us feel alert, elevating our body temperature and heart rate.

How can we mitigate its effect?

1 Blocking glasses - Amber or brown-tinted lenses may help best.

2 Cut back on screen time - 2-3 hrs before bedtime.

3 Dim the brightness on your device - Night mode/ dark mode.

4 Swap light bulbs - LEDs & fluorescent bulbs emit more blue light than incandescent bulbs.

5 Try an app - Install a blue light filtering app on your device that helps reduce light emission.

Thank me later 👋