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How Blue Light Affects Sleep and How to Combat It

Woman on the phone at night. What is blue light sleep effect | kindroot

So, what is blue light? It’s not a literal blue strobe light that you would see at a bar but rather a light that emits off of your devices. 


That’s right. Blue light emits off of your television, cell phone, and computer. Things that we’re eyeballing all day long, especially late at night if you’re binge-watching a show you haven’t watched in a while. 


Now, this is where I get super scientific. Every color is visible in the light spectrum, but each has different wavelengths and energy levels. Blue light happens to have shorter wavelengths and higher energy than other colors on the spectrum (Helmer, 2020)


Blue light can sometimes regulate your circadian rhythm through blue light therapy, but too much can be harmful. It stimulates your brain, which can slow down or stop the release of the glorious sleep hormone melatonin (read more on melatonin here). 


It’s hard to keep track of how many hours we spend staring at our devices. Most of us either work in a setting where we have to stare at a screen for a few hours at a time. 


Bottom line, there’s no way to avoid blue light, but there are ways to reduce your exposure. (For more tips on establishing a good bedtime routine, check out our blog post here.)


Timing Screen Time


If you have a habit of scrolling through Instagram late at night when it’s time to sleep, try setting a timer. You can give yourself a specific amount of screen time in your settings. 


If you have an iPhone, you can go to your settings and schedule daily limits for each app, or you can schedule downtime so you can put your phone down entirely. 


Blue Light Filters


If you need to stay on your devices for work purposes, you can always change your screens display settings. 


You can switch your devices to night shift, which will lessen the blue light and give your screen a warm-toned display. If this option is not available in your device settings, you can download apps to help. 


Blue Light Glasses


Lastly, if you’re looking for extra blue light protection, you can always purchase blue light glasses. These glasses are designed to filter out any blue light emitting from your screen. 


Try to also set up your bedroom to be a relaxing zen space that welcomes you to sleep.  Check out our blog post for some top tips here. 

or

Read more about effective sleep routines with our Sleep Coach, Rebekah Delling here.

 

Kindroot Snooze Lozenges for Sleep with Melatonin and Ashwagandha

 

And of course, once in a while, you might need a little melatonin boost to help you regulate your sleep. Try our sleepy candy Snooze lozenges - a delicious hard candy lozenges with melatonin and ashwagandha for sleep.


Happy Dreaming!
 

Disclaimer: The information stated in this article is for educational purposes only. The information stated is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any disease, condition or other physical or mental ailment of the human body. The desire to make any changes to one's dietary habits or supplementation should be consulted and discussed with a licensed medical professional. 

Before trying any poses, please assess whether you are ready and always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program or if you are pregnant or have specific injuries.

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