Sleep is often underestimated.
It is one of the "pillars" for optimal health, just as important as diet and exercise.
Poor sleep leads to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression. It is also one of the biggest risk factors for obesity .
The problem is that people often sleep a lot less than in the past.
But that's not all, unfortunately, quality sleep also has problems.
Turns out, maybe the biggest cause is also only Our common sleep problems are artificial lighting and electronics .
These devices emit blue light, making our brain think that it is daytime .
A lot of showing that blue light at night interrupts the natural sleep cycle of the brain, which is very important for the body to work optimally .
Fortunately, this problem has a simple solution and there are a number of steps you can take to eliminate that blue light at night, while also improving your health.
Let me explain this to you.
Green light is very important during the day, but it is a disaster at night
Our bodies also have a "clock" in the brain.
This watch is adjustable Our 24-hour biological cycle affects many functions within the body .
The most important thing is that it determines when our bodies are awake and alert, and when we are tired and want to go to sleep .
Biological rhythms are not 100% accurate. Sometimes it is a little longer than 24 hours, sometimes shorter.
For this reason it needs signals from the external environment to adjust itself. The most important signal that can adjust this internal biological clock is daylight and night.
This is actually very reasonable. During evolution, light means daytime and we should be alert and work, while night means it is time for us to go to sleep and recover.
But not every light is the same, mainly blue light (blue light) stimulates the light in the eye send signals to the biological clock in the brain.
Remember that sunlight and white light focus on different, blue light beams which have lots of light .
Green light (especially from the sun) is very important during the day. It helps us stay alert, and also improves performance and mood .
There have been some successes in using the device Green to cure depression, and green light bulbs in the office can reduce fatigue, improve mood as well as work performance and sleep quality for workers .
But even though blue light has many benefits during the day, it is entirely possible disaster If we come into contact with it at night.
The problem is that modern light bulbs and electronic devices (especially computer monitors) also produce a quantity great Green light and "fool" our brain to think it is daytime.
When it gets dark at night, a part of the brain called the pineal gland releases hormones signaling to the body and brain that is tired and going to sleep.
Blue light, whether from the sun or from the computer in inhibiting melatonin production .
This means that our bodies do not receive the signal that it is time to go to bed, reducing both the quality and duration of sleep.
Studies show an association between melatonin suppression in the evening with other health problems, including metabolic syndrome, obesity and cancer as well as neurological disorders such as depression .
Many speculate that blue light causes melatonin dysfunction to be one of the main causes behind obesity and many common chronic diseases today.
However, indoor lighting and electronic devices are an essential part of modern lifestyles and they will not be removed soon.
Fortunately, there is a simple way to prevent blue light from reaching our eyes and interrupt the cycle of natural sleep.
Crux: Green light at night deceives the brain to think that it is daytime, inhibiting melatonin production and reducing both quality and sleep.
Using anti-blue glasses at night is a simple way to solve this problem
The easiest and most effective way to avoid blue light in the evening is to use yellow glasses.
This type of glass effectively prevents blue light, so the storm will not receive any signal that it needs to be alert.
Research shows that when people use blue light-resistant glasses, even in rooms with lighting or when using electronic devices, they produce the same amount of melatonin as when it is dark .
In one study, night melatonin levels in humans were compared in three different lighting conditions :
- Bright dim light.
- Light.
- Bright light with blue anti-light glasses.
The chart below shows what happened to melatonin levels in these subjects:
As you can see, bright lights almost completely block the production of melatonin while the dim light does not.
But people wearing blue anti-glare glasses produce melatonin like people who come in contact with dim light. Green light-resistant glass almost prevented the effect of inhibiting melatonin production of bright lights.
Now comes the interesting part. Not only are the blue anti-light glasses proven to increase melatonin, but studies also show that they can sleep and mental activity significantly.
In one study, 20 people were randomly assigned to use either blue light-resistant glasses or non-blue anti-light glasses for 3 hours before bedtime. The study took place in 2 weeks .
Subjects who use anti-blue glasses have significant improvements in sleep quality and mood.
This type of glasses is said to significantly improve the quality of sleep in shift workers when they wear them before bedtime .
There is also a study in elderly cataract patients, showing that anti-blue lenses improve sleep and significantly reduce disturbances during the day .
In general, it seems quite clear that the use of nighttime anti-light glasses is effective. Not only does it improve sleep, it also improves mood and cognitive function.
Of course, this has not been studied for a long time and on a large scale. But with importance big of sleep with health is not surprising if this type of glass can also help prevent chronic disease and prolong life.
Crux: Studies show that anti-blue glass increases the production of melatonin in the evening, resulting in a significant improvement in sleep and mood.
Other ways to prevent blue light
If you don't want to use these glasses every night, there are a number of other ways to reduce exposure to blue light at night.
A common way is to install a so-called software in computer.
This software automatically adjusts the screen color and brightness based on your time zone. When the sky outside is dark, the software will effectively prevent all types of blue light from the computer and leave the computer screen in light orange.
Although I don't know any research about it, many computer users at night think that this software helps them sleep.
There are several things you may want to consider:
- Turn off all indoor lights for 1-2 hours before bedtime.
- Buy a red or orange desk lamp without blue light. Candle light is also very good.
- Keep the bedroom completely dark (highly recommended) or use a sleep mask.
It is also important to expose your body to lots of blue light during the day. If possible, go out during the day and absorb some natural sunlight.
If that's not an option, consider using a blue light therapy device during the day. It is like a strong light bulb simulating the sun and sunbathing the face and eyes in blue light.
What to expect
I have a long time with a history of sleep problems. I usually take an hour to sleep and wake up all night, feeling uncomfortable in the morning.
However, about a week ago, I bought a pair of blue anti-UV glasses from UVEX that could help prevent blue light.
I put a reminder on the phone to always wear it at 8:30 pm. If I was not at home at the time then I just needed to wear them as soon as I got home in the evening.
After wearing about 1-2 hours, I began to feel relaxed and feel naturally tired.
Since I started using this type of glass, I fell asleep faster and woke up full comfortable in the morning. My mood improved significantly and I found it very easy to think and write.
I personally tried many different things to sleep better, but using blue light anti-glare is a quick way to get the most effective sleep I've tried.
