How much blue light does it takes to disturb your sleep?

You have probably heard that avoiding digital screens a few hours before bedtime is essential to get a sound and uninterrupted sleep. But have you ever thought why?

Digital screens (computers, tablets, smartphones, and T.V) produce dangerous blue light. When you spend a lot of time in front of screens, you are over-exposed to blue light, which affects your sleep quality.

Like blue light, regular light can affect your sleep quality by activating the light-sensing rods and cones in your retina. But blue light activates melanopsin retinal ganglion cells, which send signals directly to your brain’s master clock. This clock controls your circadian rhythm - a 24hours internal process that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. When you are over-exposed to blue light from digital screens, especially at night, your cells send a signal to your clock that it is daytime. This light can even affect a blind person’s sleep schedules as these cells don’t seem to play much of a role in vision.

How much is too much?

Regular light takes 30 lux to disrupt your sleep. But, when it comes to blue light to sleep, it doesn’t even take that much light to affect your sleep. It takes only 9 lux to disrupt your melatonin emission by 25%. But how bright is the average screen depends on its pixel resolution. For example, a screen of iPhone6 blaze at about 60 lux and iPhone X at more than 100 lux. When it comes to melanotic lux, most smartphones have enough brightness to change your sleep schedule.

Let’s take a look at some helpful tips to get your sleep patterns on the track:

Avoid eating or exercising just before bedtime

You should avoid eating or exercising just before bedtime. Exercise speeds up the metabolism and may cause alertness which might not be perfect before bedtime. Eating before bedtime may lead to heart burns and other issues. Also, you need to avoid caffeine and nicotine as both are stimulants.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine

If you want to get a sound sleep at night with feeling relaxed in the morning, creating a relaxing bedtime routine is the best way. For that, you can take a warm bath, make your bed comfortable and play some relaxing music during bedtime.

Avoid screens at least three hours before bedtime

Using screens, especially at night before bedtime, plays an essential role in disrupting your sleep quality. So, you should avoid screens blue light three hours before bedtime.

Don’t nap even if you feel tired

If you nap at any time, you will face difficulty in sleeping at night. So, you should try to avoid napping. This will help you get sound sleep at night.

Wear blue light blocking glasses

Wearing blue light glasses is one of the best ways to get back your sleep quality on track. If you wear these lenses for three hours before bedtime, you will experience improved sleep quality and an improvement in your mood.

Want to try a pair of blockers? Just get in touch with one of the reputable blue-blocking glasses dealers. They will help you find the best one that suits your style and needs.

Blue light blocking glasses block ALL blue light — including healthy amounts, and distort your color perception.