How Artificial Light Is Wrecking Your Sleep

Put your hands up if you love sleep. 🙋 You’re not alone, and the evidence for the health benefits of adequate, restful sleep is overwhelming. Sleeping between 7 and 9 hours per night can relieve stress, reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, assist in weight loss and even improve memory and cognitive function. Despite all these benefits, many of us suffer from disordered sleep and are not managing to get that crucial 7 hours of zzz’s.

Something that probably affects everyone’s ability to sleep soundly is an excessive use of technology. How many of us check our email, scroll through Instagram double-tapping cute puppy photos, or respond to all of our text messages in bed? Guilty as charged. It might all seem harmless enough but the light emitted from our phones, laptops and tablets can be harmful to our health as it has been shown to suppress our production of melatonin.

Melatonin –The sleep hormone

Melatonin is known as the sleepy hormone and its levels regulate our circadian rhythm. Its levels are lowest in the morning and peak at night and are regulated by the light in our environment. Our body interprets artificial light from light bulbs and electronic screens as daylight, and this causes a reduction in our melatonin levels, which can make it much harder to fall asleep!

Importance of balancing melatonin 

1. As discussed above, melatonin is crucial for keeping our circadian rhythm and sleep patterns in check.
 
2. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant, helping to slow ageing and reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer.
 

How to support healthy melatonin levels

1. Try not to take melatonin supplements. Melatonin is a hormone, not a sleeping pill.  Taking melatonin tablets has the ability to disrupt the regulation of melatonin and other hormones in our body. So it shouldn’t be consumed like candy to cause sleepiness. However it has been shown to help normalise sleeping patterns when suffering jetlag. 
 
2. Keep your bedroom pitch black. You can use heavy duty block out blinds if necessary. It should be so dark that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. 
 
3. After sunset use the night shift mode on your phone, iPad and laptop. This blocks out the blue light, which is responsible for reducing melatonin levels. Your screen will look slightly orange, but it’s not at all distracting.
Sleep tight!
←  Back to BODi Journal