Illuminating the Impact: Understanding How Blue Light Affects Your Health (and what to do about it)
Blue light is affecting our bodies–both in positive and negative ways.
In the age of screens and LEDs, our world is saturated with blue light. Without even being aware of its constant presence, blue light is affecting our bodies–both in positive and negative ways.
Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum or the band of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen by the human eye. Blue light has the shortest wavelength, which means it produces higher amounts of energy.
About one-third of all visible light is considered blue light, most of which comes from the sunlight. Blue light, particularly from this natural source, does have some benefits. It boosts alertness and mood, aids memory and brain function, and regulates your circadian rhythm.
However, prolonged exposure to artificial sources of blue light like fluorescent light, LED TVs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, can have negative effects. Spending too much time looking at various devices or holding a device too close to your eye can harm your eyes, sleep, and overall health.
Harmful Effects of Blue Light
On average, Americans spend 4 hours and 37 minutes looking at their phone every day; not to mention all of the time they spend on their laptops or watching TV…sometimes at the same time!¹ So it’s no wonder why nearly 70% of Americans report having symptoms of digital eye strain such as eye discomfort and fatigue, dry eye, blurry vision, and headaches
Our eyes are not able to effectively block blue light, which means that nearly all visible blue light passes through your eyes and to the brain. Over time, the constant exposure to blue light can damage retinal cells and cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and eye cancer.
As their eyes can absorb more blue light than adults, children are even more at risk of these dangers.²
But blue light can hurt more than your eyes.
At nighttime your body naturally produces a hormone called melatonin, which helps manage your sleep-wake cycle or your circadian rhythm. Darkness stimulates your body’s secretion of melatonin allowing you to get a good night’s sleep.
However, exposure to blue light before bedtime also can disrupt the release of melatonin, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.
Interruption of the circadian system plays a role in the development of sleep disorders as well as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cognitive dysfunctions, and cancer.
What You Can Do About it?
Thankfully, there’s a few ways you can help minimize the risks associated with Blue Light.
- Get outside during the day. Exposing yourself to natural sources of blue light will not only boost your mood and energy during the day but will also help your ability to sleep at night.
- Take a screen break at night. Power down your devices 2-3 hours before bed to help your body’s natural production of melatonin.
- If you can’t totally avoid screens in the evening, use blue light-blocking glasses or blue-light filters for your smartphone, tablet, and computer screen, particularly at night. Many smartphones, tablets, and computers now have a “night shift” feature, which automatically shifts the screen colors to a warmer hue later in the day.
- Use dim red lights for night lights. Being on the opposite end of the visible light spectrum, red light is less likely to shift circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin.
- Reduce your screen time. Follow the 20-20-20 rule to reduce digital eye strain. Take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.
