HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING? HERE’S A SUPER EASY TIP

DO YOU HAVE A SET OF BLUE-LIGHT BLOCKERS? Hopefully I am going to convince you why you should at least consider it....

Yep, this actually does happen….

STudying with the blue blockers ....

No, it’s not overly sexy.
Yes, they are oversized and take a bit to get used to. Admittedly sometimes they end up spending more time on top of my head. And No, you can’t see your orange vegetables very well on your plate, nor your highlighting if you are are using orange/yellow.

BUT they do block out blue light pretty well. Not sold yet …. I DON’T BLAME YOU, maybe just keep reading….

A bit of history

• Exposure to light in general has a profound impact on the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis (HPA axis) (our stress hormone control tower, that influences loads of other hormones as well like thyroid and sex hormones).
• All life on Earth evolved, with this 24 hour light-dark cycle.
• For most of our evolutionary history, we lived in sync with the natural rhythms of day and night, without exposure to artificial light. And our hormones were happy and healthy.

Why does this matter?

• Well environmental light has the strongest influence on the circadian system and light exposure has been shown to shift the natural human biological clock (and hence any disruption can and will effect our hormones).
• For example, exposure to artificial light in the evening or at night can delay sleep onset, and light exposure during the day affects sleep quality and duration during the night
• Nighttime light exposure, suppresses the production of melatonin, which not only affects our sleep but also disrupts the HPA axis. Melatonin suppression has also been shown to increase the risk of cancer, impair immune function, and possibly lead type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

Blue-light is the worst

• Short wavelength, or blue light is the most melatonin suppressive, and this is the type of light emitted from electronic devices.
• This is a big problems as 95% of Americans (and I assume around the same for Australians) report using some type of electronic device at least a few nights a week within an hour before bed. Let’s all be honest, it’s a tough habit to break!
• In addition to too much light exposure at night, most people are not getting enough exposure to light (natural light) during the day
• Outdoor light is far more intense than indoor light. Bright light exposure during the day helps to regulate cortisol levels and balance the HPA axis, which actually helps anchor your circadian rhythm so that light at night has less of an ability to shift your rhythm.

What to do?

• Make outside time a priority! The first 30 to 60 minutes of outdoor light exposure creates about 80% of the anchoring effect. So just going outside for about half and hour at lunchtime or in the morning can provide you with the majority of anchoring light you need to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm.
• Power down devices at least 2 hours before bed time – that means minimal lights, TV, electronic devices. I hear you…. you’re thinking what the hell am I going to do then? Well life did exist before… so embrace some of the old time traditions like conversation, reading, games, and maybe just maybe if your really stuck for ideas some hanky panky?
• Use candles and minimal lights leading up until bed time. Bring back the romance, nothing wrong with dinner by candle light, and let’s face it, it’s sexier than the glasses right?
• If you have to use your devices make sure you have night mode activated on your iPhone, f.lux for your MacBook (and equivalent applications for non Apple users) and wait for it….. YOUR VERY own, super sexy, night glasses for screen time. Thinking it’s only a matter of time before TV’s catch up and start making a “night mode” too.

So there you have it. Did I pull off those glasses and convince you?

If so, you can purchase them for a total of $24.00 from http://www.optimoz.com.au/products/uvex-blue-light-blockers?variant=13482833159

Love Chantel