What is Blue Light, and what does it have to do with sleep??
Blue light comes from a few different sources, but most commonly it comes from our smart screens.
Recently, there have been a LOT of research studies showing not only the effects Blue Light (or Blu-rays) has on our eyes, but the effects it has on SLEEP!
“…This high energy blue light passes through the cornea and lens to the retina causing diseases such as dry eye, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and even stimulates the brain, inhibiting melatonin secretion, and enhancing adrenocortical hormone production, which will destroy the hormonal balance and directly affect sleep quality.”
Blu-rays emitted from our smart screens are registered in the brain as the same wavelengths as sunlight. When our brain detects sunlight, it does not produce melatonin, the hormone that helps us get sleepy.
When our children view smart screens close to nap or bedtime, guess what happens? They don’t produce melatonin, so they don’t seem tired! This can often result in extended waking windows (too much awake time between sleep opportunities) which leads to our babes getting overtired and crashing late at night or substantially past their nap time.
If screen time is a part of your bedtime routine, it’s best to
- move it to the beginning of the routine or right after dinner
- make sure your little one’s eyes aren’t exposed to blue light for at least an hour before sleep is expected in order for their brains to produce melatonin.
- always keep a full arms length between your child’s eyes and the screen to prevent long-term damage and overexposure to blu-rays.
Anyone struggling with screen time at night?
