After a long, busy, and exhausting day, most of us prefer to unwind by sprawling out on the couch watching TV or wasting time on the Internet. But once the time comes to turn in, many people struggle to fall asleep. Studies show that blue light is to blame.
The blue end of the light spectrum – emitted by ordinary light bulbs, televisions, and computer screens – suppresses melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep cycle. In fact, in a recent article by Real Simple, Rubin Naiman, Ph.D., director of sleep programs at the Miraval Resort, in Tucson, compared blue light to another sleep-stealing stimulant: “Being exposed to too much light at night is the environmental equivalent of caffeine.”
In order to avoid blue light overload, you’ll need to make just a few adjustments to your behavior. Here are a few ideas for you…