More About Lights
Light is a very important factor when it comes to sleep. Whether its natural or artificial, light plays such a large role in our body’s natural rhythm and if we don’t take it into account, it can wreak havoc on our sleep.
From the previous videos, you have learned how to deal mostly with natural light. When it is beneficial and when we want to start avoiding it. Now that we are working on evening behaviors, our conversation switches from natural light, to artificial light. What I’m talking about is light from overhead lighting and lamps and effects of using your phone before bed.
Bright Overhead Lights Can Trick Our Brains It Is Still Day Light
I want to start with lighting that you have in your home. Bright overhead lighting can trick our brains into thinking it is still daytime and does not allow for certain hormonal and chemical processes to happen that ultimately help us sleep. In the evening after about 8pm, it’s a good idea to begin to use lights that are below eye level, like lamps. You can also use bulbs that emit much softer light, that will be much less stimulating. This may seem like a trivial thing to change, but many of my clients notice a calming effect from this change.
Blue Lights On Electronic Devices Has A Negative Affect On Our Sleep
The second source of lighting I want to talk about is light from our electronic devices. This type is more disruptive because it is blue light that is being emitted. Blue light has been shown to have a more stimulating effect than other types of light, thus causing your sleep to be more negatively affected. Blue light has been shown to negatively affect melatonin production in your body. Melatonin is a powerful hormone that is important for falling and staying asleep. Using an Ipad 2 hours before bed can lower melatonin by 23%.
The best way to fix this is to avoid screens in the evening. This may not be possible if you have to work later in the evening or want to watch a show to wind down, so we need a way to offset this as best we can. The easiest fix is to wear blue light blocking glasses. They block the stimulating light that would negatively affect you, so you can still use your electronic devices. There are many brands to choose from, but the most effective one is reasonably priced. I will provide a link below this video.
Many clients ask me if it’s acceptable to just use the ‘night mode’ setting on their phone. Unfortunately, this is not enough of an intervention.
Using blue blocking glasses is a change that most people see the benefits of very quickly and you will be pleasantly surprised. This is especially important for children, so feel free to purchase a pair of glasses for them as well.
I hope you are starting to appreciate the importance of how we manage light in our lives. By managing how you use artificial light, you will improve the quality of your sleep.
In the next video I will discuss what you can do as you are getting ready for bed so you can have a good night sleep.
Chris Munro
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In this 10-part sleep series, personal trainer Chris Munro emphasizes the importance of getting enough nightly zzz's and regulating your sleep cycle. Explore how to improve your quality of sleep from the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow.