Long after we turn them off, our screens may be keeping us awake. The blue screens on TVs, phones and laptops have been linked with decreased melatonin production in the body, a deficit that may take hours of tossing and turning in the dark to correct. The wavelength of the blue lights from screens mimics daylight, and that suppresses melatonin.

The solution is either to turn your electronics off, put yellow or red light bulbs in your bedroom, or invest in software that decreases or masks the blue rays. Or, you could get a cheap pair of sunglasses. Not only will this cheap fix help you sleep better, there’s increased evidence that cutting out blue light may reduce retinal damage, help with obesity and depression, and improve bi-polar disorders.

In a recent article on his website www.mercola.com, Dr Mercola wrote about blocking out blue light to enhance sleep.

“The easiest solution, which I recently started using myself, is to simply use amber colored glasses that block blue light. Studies have confirmed that when using blue-blocking glasses, people produce as much melatonin as they do in dim light, even if they’re in a lit room or using light emitting technology…. I found a Uvex model on Amazon that costs less than $10. Most blue-blocking glasses sell for around $90, so they’re a fantastic bargain — far less expensive than buying blue-blocking light bulbs as well. With their sporty frame, they also look better than many other models. These are the ones I use, and they work like a charm to eliminate virtually all blue light. This way, you don’t have to worry about installing programs on all your devices, or buying special light bulbs for evening use. Once you have your glasses on, it doesn’t matter what light sources you have on in your house.”

Share this: