Chapter 2: Banish Blue Light
Science tells us that light from the blue side of the spectrum disturbs the brain's production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleeping and waking. Exposure to blue light sources, especially in the evening, can drastically disturb your sleep.
Blue light can be light coming in through the window, as well as light from regular and LED bulbs. Digital screens including PCs, laptops, tablets, and TV screens are also huge emitter of blue light.
This hack is simple. Keeping all light out of your bedroom is the fastest and most effective ways to improve sleep.
There are several ways you can do this:
- Use blackout curtains to completely block out any daylight from filtering in. This is especially beneficial for late sleepers and people who work night shifts and sleep during the day.
- A low-intensity amber night light is fine if you absolutely cannot sleep in a totally dark room. These types of bulbs do not give off blue light. A good idea is to install dim amber lights in the hallway as well for those trips to the bathroom. This will help you quickly fall asleep again when you are back in bed.
- Invest in a blue light-filtering sleep mask. However, note that your whole body absorbs blue light through the skin. If this hack doesn't work for you, you will need to try the blackout curtains.
- Ensure that your home lighting is sleep- friendly. Our body starts producing melatonin a couple of hours before we go to bed, making us feel sleepy. However, too-bright lighting in the home, as well as television and computer screens, can inhibit the production of melatonin. Keep your home lighting dim (amber or red and yellow spectrum lighting is the best choice)- and don’t watch TV or sit in front of the computer directly before going to bed. This is because when your skin absorbs blue light, it starts producing cortisol, a hormone that increases alertness and weakens the effect of sleep-inducing melatonin.
- Wear amber-tinted glasses during the last 3-4 hours of daylight. This is another simple hack that supports "dim light melatonin production". This technical term means the production of melatonin during evening hours. Amber-tinted glasses are glasses that have yellow or orange lenses and are very inexpensive – but they could be just the hack you need for better sleep. They are available on Amazon in a variety of styles, as well as elsewhere online.
Become aware of the blue light sources surrounding you during the evening and banish them. This hack should give you fast results where you induce an improvement in your sleep in a few days.
