Light is an essential part of our daily lives. We use it to navigate, read and work. But did you know that light has an impact on your sleep? Blue light emitted from devices and LED lighting can disrupt the body’s ability to wind down and prepare for sleep, which can lead to a less restful night and fatigue the following day. it can also have a negative impact on our skin health and potentially cause fine lines, wrinkles, inflammation and puffiness in the face.
What is blue light?
Blue light, a type of light that has a wavelength between 380 and 450 nanometers, is found in sunlight as well as from electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and LED lighting. We’re exposed to blue light every day—but the amount of exposure can vary greatly depending on the time of day or night that you use your devices.
Blue light can be damaging to our skin because it suppresses production of melatonin (the hormone that makes us feel sleepy). This means that when we look at digital screens late at night before bedtime, our bodies don't produce enough melatonin for us to fall asleep easily or sleep deeply enough for us to feel rested in the morning. The effects on sleep may last up until an hour after exposure!
Effects of blue light
Blue light disrupts the circadian rhythm, which is your body's internal clock that tells you when to sleep and when to wake up. It also suppresses melatonin levels, making it harder to fall asleep and wake up in the morning. It can also make it difficult for you to fall back asleep after waking up in the middle of the night.
This can lead to sleep deprivation, which can cause stress, anxiety, irritability and poor quality of life.
The blue light from your devices and LED lighting can be just as bad for you as artificial sweeteners, according to a new study. And that's because it suppresses melatonin production, disrupts circadian rhythm, and makes it harder to fall asleep at night.
And while you're awake, it's not doing much good either: The same blue light can cause eye strain (and the associated puffy eyes) and wrinkles on your face—not to mention tired skin.
Nighttime exposure
If you're reading this article on your phone, tablet or other mobile device, it's likely that the display's light is emitting a blue color.
One way to limit the impact of blue light at night is by installing apps like f.lux (PC), Night Shift Mode (Mac) and Twilight (iOS). These programs automatically filter out certain shades of light emitted from desktop and laptop screens in order to mimic how real sunlight would appear outside at nightfall. If you don't want to install an app but still want some peace of mind during bedtime reading sessions, consider some of the following solutions...
Solutions
If it’s too late to stop the production of blue light now, there are some solutions that can help you sleep better.
Wear blue light blocking glasses or lenses. This will filter out the high-energy blue light from the sun and artificial sources. You can wear these at night to help improve your sleep quality or during the day if you work on a computer all day long.
Use a blue light filtering screen protector for your phone, tablet or laptop screen. This will block most of the harmful wavelengths from reaching your eyes as well as reduce glare from any LED lights in your room that could be disrupting melatonin production. They’re also great for reducing eye strain caused by staring at screens all day long!
Use a blue light filter on lamps around your house (including those in bedrooms). These filters tend to be more expensive than other kinds of lighting options but they’re worth it if they keep you awake at night because they emit less disruptive wavelengths than regular bulbs do.
Use salt lamps in any room where you spend time relaxing or sleeping at night — including bedrooms but also living rooms or even offices if they disturb your circadian rhythm with their bright lights during daytime hours when they’re turned off anyway! Salt lamps emit negative ions into the air which have been shown through research studies so why not give them a try? Just remember: these should never be used near open flames such as candles because they contain sodium chloride which may result in dangerous fumes once heated up by an open flame etc. and keep them away from your pets as some cats and dogs can be tempted to lick the salt off them.
Blue light is a high-energy visible light that penetrates the skin more deeply than UV light.
This means it can cause damage to your skin, which leads to premature aging and sun spots. Blue light also damages the eye's retina, possibly leading to cataracts and macular degeneration in old age.
Protect your skin.
If you’re worried about the impact of blue light on sleep, then you should also be worried about its effects on skin.
Blue light can accelerate aging and cause wrinkles, age spots and puffiness around the eyes. It has been shown to increase redness and inflammation in facial skin which can cause dark circles under eyes or dull skin.
To keep my skin protected, I like to wear an SPF that has 'Blue Light Blocking' technology. I personally love the Nimue Environmental Shield SPF 50 (contact me to purchase). I tend to wear it the days I know I will be staring at a screen all day to protect my skin and help prevent fine lines and wrinkles caused from blue light.
Blue light may be pretty, but it’s not an effective sleep aid. If you want to get the most out of your night, turn off your devices and seek out darker environments at least one hour prior to bedtime.
Thank you so much for reading,
I hope you've found this post useful.
Emmaline