teen girl lying in bed at night and using smart phone

Blue Light and Sleep: How to Improve Your Slumber

Tossing and turning all night? Consider the implications of blue light and sleep and soon you could be sleeping like a baby.

Sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing. If you constantly don't get enough of it you'll undoubtedly feel worn out and grumpy. Fatigue can suck the fun out of life by turning everyday experiences, whether at work or play, into a struggle.


Sleep deprivation and your body


Sleep deprivation can have a significant negative impact on your general health.

And while there is still a lot to learn, we do know sleep is essential for our bodies.

While you sleep, your body produces protective, infection-fighting substances which help your immune system; warding off foreign bodies. Sleep deprivation hinders this process, rendering your immune system defenseless against attackers and slowing down recovery time from illness.

Sleep deprivation can also impact your weight by affecting the two key hormones which regulate your appetite.

When you're tired, your body hinders the production of Leptin. Leptin is the hormone responsible for telling you when you've had enough to eat. Simultaneously, it increases the production of Ghrelin which is an appetite stimulant. Combine that with the disruption of natural Insulin production, and you risk throwing out your weight and your blood sugar levels.

Sleep deprivation and your mind


Sleep also benefits the mind.

While you're asleep, your brain unconsciously reflects upon the day's experiences and files memories away into your long-term memory. This is crucial for recalling vital information such as that processed while at work, or in the classroom.

There have also been a series of studies on the relationship between sleep and mental health. One such study found that as many as three-quarters of those suffering from depression also exhibit poor sleep habits. Most people need around eight hours of sleep a night. If like many, you're not getting anywhere near, you could be at risk of physical and emotional ailments.

Sleep problems are an enormous issue all around the world: in the United States, it's estimated up to 70 million people suffer from chronic sleep disorders that make their lives a misery. It no surprise that the more our lives are intertwined with digital technology, the more trouble we have dozing off at night. Blue light is a spectrum of light emitted by digital devices that disrupts the body's natural nocturnal systems.


Blue Light and Sleep


These days we spend a large part of our days staring at screens (including the one you're reading this on).

Whether it's computers for work or leisure, the television or the mobile phones we just cannot seem to put down. Indeed, our unwavering attachment to our phones now has a medical name: mobile phone addiction. You can even take an online test to see if you're suffering from this modern-day affliction.

For the purposes of sleep, digital screens are certainly not beneficial to the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. This is due to disruptive blue light emissions that interfere with our natural circadian rhythms while we're scrolling through Instagram, watching Netflix, or checking our emails. A high energy visual (HEV) light range, blue light penetrates straight to the back of our eye and sends our retinal cells into a flurry of activity.

These cells send signals to the brain which arrest the body's production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep. So what can we do to get some decent shut-eye? Is it realistic to get rid of all our digital devices, or at least stop using them well into the night?

No Need to Feel Blue


The good news is that, amid all this widespread sleep deprivation, help is at hand.

It comes in the form of blue light filters which can shield your precious eyes from the blue light emitted by digital screens. This is especially important given how close we hold our tablet computers and mobile phones to our faces.

Many digital devices do provide some protection from blue light, typically with an option to turn on a nighttime light that reduces the amount of blue light being emitted. But many people are turned off by these filters because they typically render the screen orange or a shade of pink — it looks unnatural and can ruin the browsing or viewing experience.

That's why, here at Ocushield, we researched and developed an effective blue light filter that can simply be added to the screen of a computer or phone and give your eyes — and your body — a well-deserved rest. Our filters are the first and only Class 1 medically-rated screen protectors in the world, so you can rest easy knowing that your eyes are being kept safe.


How we reviewed this article:

Ocushield has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version
September 30, 2020

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published