How Blue Light Can Have an Effect on Your Sleep

Adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Sleep restores the body, fortifies every bodily system, and powers the mind. Without it, we could compromise our mental and physical health.

Unfortunately, blue light could stop you from getting the sleep you need.

What is blue light, exactly, and how can it affect the quality of sleep you get each night? Read on to find out!

What Is Blue Light?

Before we discuss how blue lights impact sleep quality, let’s cover the basics. What is blue light?

The lights we see and use every day are composed of electromagnetic radiation. Our eyes are able to interpret colors of light based on how much energy they contain. Otherwise, electromagnetic radiation is an invisible form of energy.

In the spectrum of light (that the human eye can see), blue light has the shortest wavelength and the most energy. Colors on the other end of the spectrum, with longer wavelengths and lower energy, including red and orange.

Blue light is emitted from the fluorescent lights in offices, the sun, our smartphones, and our TVs. While the largest source of blue light exposure is the sun, our electronics emit artificial blue light as well. 

In fact, nearly 100% of blue light rays reach the retina. Meanwhile, fewer than 1% of UV rays are able to reach the retina, even when you’re wearing protective glasses. 

Unlike other lights on the spectrum, blue light has a unique effect on your sleep cycles, hormone production, and alertness. As a result, it’s able to interfere with the body’s natural sleep cycle. 

Devices That Emit Blue Light

We interact with different devices that emit blue light every day. Many people even work under artificial lights, which can sometimes make it impossible to avoid blue light exposure.

Common sources of blue light can include:

• Televisions
• Fluorescent lights
• Smartphones
• Computer screens/monitors
• Tablets
• e-Readers
• LED lights
• Video game consoles

About 90% of Americans use a technological device an hour before bed. Using more interactive devices (computers, cell phones, video game consoles, etc.) before bed makes it more difficult for us to fall asleep.

Thankfully, there are a few changes you can make to your routine to minimize and mitigate your exposure.

How Does Blue Light Affect Sleep?

Your circadian rhythm is the sleep-wake pattern that occurs over the course of a 24-hour day. Influenced by light and dark, your circadian rhythm helps control your daily sleep and wakefulness schedule.

Your brain receives signals from your environment before activating certain hormones. These signals also lead your body to keep you alert or draw you to sleep. However, disruptions to your circadian rhythm like external factors (or disorders like sleep apnea) can impact this natural rhythm.

Factors that can change your circadian rhythm include poor sleep habits, health conditions, stress, and lifestyle changes. 

Remember, light plays an important role in aligning your circadian rhythm. In the past, most circadian rhythms were aligned with sunrise and sunset.

However, our daily exposure to artificial light and electronics also means we’re exposed to increasing amounts of light before bedtime. These lights have a large impact on our circadian rhythms, affecting our ability to sleep.

Most people get the majority of their daily blue light exposure from the sun. Blue light is able to stimulate parts of the brain to elevate our heart rate and body temperature. It also signals parts of the brain to help us remain alert.

As a result, blue light is able to boost our attention and performance. During the day, it benefits our circadian rhythms by setting us up for a great night’s sleep.

Blue Light and Sleep Disorders

Blue light could benefit someone who is struggling with a sleep disorder. For example, some circadian rhythm disorders develop because a person’s rhythm isn’t in alignment with their unique environment. Light therapy could improve their circadian rhythm to help them sleep.

If you’re struggling to sleep, learning more about the sleep apnea symptoms you might experience can help.

For others, however, blue light suppresses our body’s release of melatonin. Melatonin is the natural hormone that helps us feel drowsy. Without melatonin at night, you could struggle to sleep.

Too much blue light exposure later in the day could trick your brain into believing it’s still daytime. You’ll feel alert instead of tired as a result.

Inadequate Sleep

If you’re receiving too much blue light exposure during the day, your body won’t release melatonin before bed. You could unintentionally disrupt your natural circadian rhythm, which will impact your ability to sleep.

Chronic issues with your circadian rhythm can lead to metabolic disorders or mental health conditions like depression.

If you’re struggling to get enough sleep each night, your performance during the day will suffer, too. 

Inadequate sleep can eventually cause mental and physical health problems, including:

• Memory issues
• Low see drive
• Increased risk of diabetes
• Weakened immunity
• Mood swings
• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• Increased risk of accidents
• Trouble thinking and concentrating
• Poor balance
• Increased risk of heart disease

If these symptoms sound familiar, start making changes to your daily routine. Learning how to minimize your blue light exposure in the evening will stimulate melatonin production at the right time. You’ll have an easier time drifting off each night as a result. 

Mitigating the Effects

The easiest way to minimize your daily blue light exposure is to turn off the devices that are emitting blue light. For example, you can start turning off your electronic devices once the sun starts setting. Instead, consider picking up a book.

You can also start wearing specialty glasses. These blue-light-blocking or amber glasses can reduce the melatonin-suppressing effects you might otherwise experience. However, these glasses don’t work for everyone. 

In some cases, you can’t turn off the devices that are emitting blue light before bed. Thankfully, you can still reduce blue light exposure before it starts interfering with your circadian rhythm and sleep. 

Get Daytime Light Exposure

First, make an effort to increase your bright light exposure during the day.

Natural sunlight during the day will keep your circadian rhythm on the right track. It can also boost your daytime energy, nighttime sleep quality, and duration of sleep.

Bright light exposure during the day could even improve your sleep quality and duration if you’re struggling with insomnia. Exposure reduced the time it took people with insomnia to fall asleep by 83%.

Try to step outside during the day to soak up some sunlight.

Establish a Routine

Establishing a routine could help keep your circadian rhythm in proper alignment.

First, try to wake up at the same time each morning. Go to bed at the same time each night, too. Remember, your circadian rhythm functions on a 24-hour loop.

Sleeping and waking at consistent times can improve your sleep quality. Otherwise, you might alter your circadian rhythm and melatonin levels. 

If you’re still struggling to fall asleep, try taking a melatonin supplement before bed. A supplement could improve your sleep quality, giving you more energy during the day. Consider speaking with a healthcare provider before adding a new supplement to your routine. 

Other supplements that might help include magnesium, l-theanine, and lavender. 

Try minimizing your intake of caffeine late in the day, too. Otherwise, drinking caffeine even six hours before bed could worsen your sleep quality. If you crave coffee in the late afternoon, try decaf instead. 

Avoid drinking alcohol before bed, too. Otherwise, alcohol can increase disrupted sleep patterns and sleep apnea symptoms. 

Avoid daytime naps. Napping can confuse your internal clock, which could impact your ability to fall asleep at night. 

Switch Your Lights

If you read in bed each evening, make sure your lamp isn’t emitting blue light. 

Try dimming the brightness on your electronic devices, or use “night mode” to reduce blue light exposure. 

Make an effort to reduce your blue light exposure in the evening. Otherwise, you could trick your brain into thinking it’s still bedtime.

To minimize blue light exposure:

• Wear glasses to block blue light
• Install an app to block blue light on your phone
• Stop watching TV two hours before bed
• Turn off bright lights two hours before bed

A few small changes can minimize your blue light exposure to keep your circadian rhythm in balance. 

Try to Relax

You can use different relaxation apps to help you fall asleep.

For example, consider meditating before bed. Reading a book, using deep breathing exercises, or visualization techniques can help as well.

These relaxation techniques could help improve your sleep quality.

Improve Your Environment

A few small changes to your bedroom can help you get a good night’s sleep.

First, try to minimize external noise. Consider playing relaxing music before bed instead. 

Adjust the temperature (around 70°F is comfortable for most people), too. Otherwise, make sure your pillows, mattress, and sheets are all clean and comfortable. 

Lights Out: Don’t Let Blue Light Affect Your Sleep Quality

Don’t let blue light exposure impact your circadian rhythm. Instead, use these tips to get the sleep you need. Improving your sleep duration and quality can help you function a little better each day.

Make sure to rule out a sleep disorder this year as well!

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