Sleep and Light Exposure

Sleep and Light Exposure

We just saw a great blog article by Kerri Flannagan titled  "Red Light Therapy for Sleep: The Safe and Natural Way to Better Rest".  

"Studies have shown that even exposure to bright room light before bedtime can delay melatonin onset and duration. These effects can be mitigated, however, by using dimmer switches, low-wattage table lamps - or light in the red spectrum, as we’ll see. The real problem is with our devices: positioned mere inches from our eyes at all hours of the day and night, our smartphones, tablets and laptops seem to be throwing our pineal glands into confusion and disrupting our circadian rhythm.

Screens emit light in the blue range, which mimics daylight, suppressing melatonin secretion. It’s also been shown to increase cortisol levels. The negative effects of blue light exposure at night is certainly no secret: experts have been warning us against using our devices before bed for years, and yet scrolling before bed or even in bed is at an all-time high in both teens and adults."

The answer?  Put away your electronics, and charge them away from your bedside!  Even better, "...red light therapy draws upon your own body’s capabilities for healing and performance", so use red and near-infrared lights for better sleep.  Red Lights for healing and better sleep.

Thanks to Alessio Zaccaria at Unsplash for the great photo!

3rd May 2021 SarahH

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