Blue Light and How It's Detrimental To Your Sleep

Another blog post from Ann Arbor Chiropractor Mike Tannenbaum, D.C.: Blue Light and How It Affects Your Sleep.


Blue light: what is it, why does it hurt your ability to sleep, and how can you avoid blue light in an effort to improve your sleep?


Blue light is a short-wave light that is produced by many electronic devices and energy-efficient light bulbs – the curlicue-looking bulbs, for example).


It has been demonstrated that blue light negatively impacts our circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock that lets know, for example, when to sleep and when to wake up). With our circadian rhythm not functioning properly, our sleep pattern can be negatively affected, making it hard to fall asleep and stay a sleep. In addition, it has been shown that circadian rhythm disruption can cause all kinds of health problems. Apparently, blue light affects our production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin helps keeps our circadian rhythm working properly. Thus, without the proper production of melatonin, our sleep pattern is negatively impacted.


To help with sleep relative to exposure to blue light try the following:


Use red light more by filtering out the blue light (waves), limiting your exposure to blue light, as red light has been shown not to affect your production of melatonin as much as blue light does. To accomplish this, many new laptops and smartphone have a blue light reducing function and /or buy blue–light–blocking glasses and use them beginning a few hours before you go to bed.

Don't use electronics within a few hours of going to bed.

Make sure you are exposed to plenty of natural light during the day.


If you have any questions about this blog post, chiropractic, back pain, neck pain, or headaches, I can be reached at my Ann Arbor chiropractic office at [email protected].


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