Before artificial lighting was introduced, the sun was the major source of light. We rose from our slumber when the sun would rise every morning, and then after the setting sun we would make our way back to bed at night. This is our body’s circadian rhythm and light at nighttime, especially blue light, throws this out of whack.
What is blue light?
Not all colours of light are the same and they each have different effects. Blue wavelengths can be beneficial during daylight hours as they have been found to boost mood, attention and reaction times, but are particularly disruptive at night.
Exposure to light, especially blue light, suppresses secretion of the hormone melatonin. This hormone influences the body’s circadian rhythms, which then can affect your sleeping patterns and quality of sleep. Ongoing sleep deprivation can become a concern as it can cause issues and increased risk of depression, diabetes and cardiovascular problems. It affects both your physical and mental state.
Exposure to light at nighttime is especially difficult for shift workers, but there are options available to help reduce blue light. There are also concerns with our increased use of electronics, particularly at nighttime.
How to reduce your exposure to blue light
Here are some options to consider;
- Select warmer lights and avoiding the harsh blue light of some LED lights
- Avoid bright screens approx 2-3 hours before bed
- Create a wind down routine before bed, so your body knows when it’s time to sleep
- Go to bed and get up around the same time every day if possible, so your body gets into a routine
- If you do work night shift or have to use screens at nighttime, consider purchasing some blue light blocking eyewear. Also using night shift mode on your phone settings will shift the colours of your display to warmer colours.
Our favourite brand to help reduce blue light.
One of our favourite brands helping reduce your exposure to blue light is Baxter Blue. They have a wonderful range of products to help your overall wellness.
Their blue-light blocking glasses are helping reduce digital eye strain and blue light exposure, and these stylish glasses are available in a range of frames for both adults and kids. Continuing on their mission for sustainability they have a range of biodegradable glasses made of plant-based Bio-Acetate, naturally breaking down within 115 days at the end of their life. They not only help improve our screen time but the lives of people living in poverty. Partnering with RestoringVision they donate a pair of glasses for every pair purchased, empowering the lives of the vision impaired and impacting the way they work, read and learn.
The Baxter Blue range also includes these great products;
- Evening Glow Amber Book Light. Reading before bed is one of the best wind-down habits going, but most lights undo all that good work. This one is 100% blue-light-free, so your melatonin keeps doing its thing while you finish the chapter.
- Circadian Bed Lamp. Most bedside lamps work against your sleep without you realising it. This one has an amber setting for winding down and a red setting when you’re nearly ready to sleep — no blue light in either mode.
- Motion Sensor Night Light. If you get up in the night, a bright light is one of the worst things for your sleep quality. This switches on automatically in a soft amber glow — no melatonin spike, no lying awake afterwards.
The reality of our modern world
In an ideal world we would all be able to rise with the sun and sleep when it’s dark, but the reality is that with our lifestyles and particularly our choice of work, alarms help us wake up especially during the dark Winter months.
A wonderful way to help you wake and prepare yourself for the day is to get around 30 minutes of daylight early in the morning. This sunlight helps send your body a ‘wake up’ signal and produces the hormone serotonin which is our feel good chemical, ensuring you start your day with low stress and in a good mood.
Do you finish your day laying in bed having one final scroll to see what’s happening online? Or roll over and pick up your phone before you’ve hardly opened your eyes? Or maybe you do both. It might be challenging but trying to keep your phone out of bed will improve many aspects of your life. From your sleep to your mood to even your love life. Give it a try and see how you go!
Check out our Eco Directory to find more wellness brands to help you live a healthy and vital life.