Did you know that over a third of Americans struggle with getting a good night’s sleep?
There are multiple sleep disorders that could be the cause of this, including sleep apnea and insomnia; but there’s another dastardly cause of disrupted sleep… blue light.
Blue light can impact sleep patterns, but you can mitigate its effects through the use of items like blue light blocking glasses.
Let’s look at how blocking blue light can help you overcome sleep issues.
Filtering light to sleep at night: The causes of poor sleep
We’re poets and didn’t know it.
But we do know that that blue light disrupts sleep. There have been plenty of studies on the impact blue light has on your circadian rhythm and melatonin production, which determines your sleep cycle.
Natural light: Your essential ally
Natural light, and therefore natural blue light, influence the production of melatonin. So, before the advent of technology, our bodies natural rhythm was similar to the natural day/night cycle.
That means:
- ☀️ When you wake up in the morning, the sun's rays and their natural blue light reduce melatonin secretion. So, you start your day wide awake, ready to eat your cereal with joy.
- 🌆 At nighttime, the brightness decreases and the production of melatonin increases to prepare for rest, helping you achieve better rest.
Natural light exposure is necessary for a happy and healthy day/night cycle and general mental wellbeing. That’s why it’s always a good idea to get outside and experience some fresh air at least once a day, whenever possible.
It helps your body get back into the right rhythm, decreases stress and you get some exercise on top. All good things, all helped by natural light.
But then everything changed, when artificial blue light attacked.
Artificial blue light: As disruptive as the fire nation
The more technology became part of our daily lives, so too did artificial blue light; disrupting our internal clock and sleeping patterns.
That’s because all of a sudden, we’re exposed to it day and night, from screens, devices and LED lights, confusing our bodies natural rhythm. Your body no longer knows how to react, which is why it’s important to protect yourself from artificial blue light in the evenings. You can do this by using ambient lighting, turning off your devices and setting yourself to hibernation mode.
Just don’t turn off the lights entirely… bumping into walls won’t help you get to sleep faster.
But if you spend your evenings bingeing House of the Dragon, playing the latest Assassin’s Creed, or even just doomscrolling on TikTok, you’re sending your body the wrong message:
🔵Blue light = ❌ Not sleeping time!
By exposing yourself to blue light for such long periods of time, you’re impacting melatonin production and the ability to fall asleep.
Do blue light glasses work for sleep?
Sleeping glasses, or blue light blocking glasses, work to protect your eyes from overexposure to blue light.
That means you don’t have to miss the latest in the Greens vs Blacks fight for Westeros in order to ensure you get good quality sleep. (Although you probably won’t after that show anyway).
But be careful when choosing your blue light sleeping glasses. Not all models are created equal, and there are some things to look out for when choosing which brand to purchase.
- 🥇 The quality of the anti-blue light filter: Not all lenses are created equal, and the blue light filtration rate is the essential element to take into account. A glass that filters 10 or 20% of blue light achieves nothing. You need high filtration, from high tech glasses for the blocking of blue light to be truly effective.
- 🪞 Anti-reflective coating: This helps prevent glare and tiredness caused by excessive exposure to screens.
- 🟠 Amber lenses for better blocking: For the best of the best anti-blue light glasses, opt for amber lenses! Our PLASMA® lenses are ultra effective at filtering harmful (86%) and extra harmful (100%) blue light. Particularly ideal for heavy gamers and streamers. During the day, glasses designed for working on screens will be effective, but in the evening, gaming glasses are the Rolls Royce of blue light filtration.
Blue light glasses: The Horus X solution
Horus X works hard to protect your eyes from excessive exposure to blue light. That’s why our range caters to everyone, from office workers, to intensive gamers, and even small children whose eyes are still developing. And for those who spend a lot of time outside, we’ve also developed a sunglasses range that offers both UV and blue light protection.
Tried and tested… by the Horus X team ourselves.
Our three founders Paul, Matthieu and Stéphane always put on their blue light glasses at least 3 hours before bed, and they themselves have noticed the health benefits and the impact its had on their natural sleep cycles.
In fact, we tried to ask Paul more about it for this article but he was too busy snoring.
🌍Protect your eyes and save the planet! We’ve partnered with 1% for the Planet to help aid environmental protection efforts around the world; and in the interest of sustainability have developed our own range of biobased glasses! These glasses are made with castor oil, heavily reducing our carbon footprint.
Using blue light sleeping glasses… and other tips
So, when should you wear these magical glasses?
Like our founders, we recommend for any intensive screen use and 3 hours before bed for optimal protection and sleep.
And if you can tear yourself away, turning off those screens at least an hour before bed isn’t a bad idea either.
However, there are also general habits you can implement in your daily routine to improve your sleep.
- 🌅 Regularly expose yourself to natural light during the day (2 hours a day is ideal, even if it means fitting it into your morning routine)
- 🖥️ Turn off screens at least an hour before going to bed
- 📱 Ban your phone from the bedroom
- 🙏 Try and instill healthy habits in terms of your diet and exercise routine
- 💡 In the evening, adapt your light environment for a smooth transition to bedtime: warmly lit bulbs and ambient lighting are great for this.
- 🩺 Consult a professional if the sleep problems do not go away (if you become insomniac, for example)
Blue light sleeping glasses: Final thoughts
The key to restful nights and good recovery is to respect your circadian rhythm. The best way to achieve this would be to expose yourself to daylight in the morning and gradually reduce the dose of blue light as the day fades.
Everyday electronic devices are like a grain of sand that slips into this well-oiled cog: the light from the screens sends contrary information via the cells of your eyes, telling you it’s daytime.
One of the solutions to the impact of blue light is to purchase a pair of blue light blocking sleeping glasses/ These models block artificial blue light, to avoid its impact on the quality of your night’s sleep.
Of course, this does not replace our ultimate advice for sleeping better: a healthy lifestyle, regular physical activity, less artificial light and more natural light and, last but not least, turn to a health professional if you continue to suffer from long-term sleeping problems.
