It’s 3 pm, your eyes are drooping and all you can think about is how much you can’t wait to go to bed. But when that finally happens, actually drifting off to sleep feels like a mission on par with climbing Everest. If this sounds familiar, chances are you and sleep aren’t exactly on the best terms right now!
You’ve no doubt heard that the blue light emitted from your tech devices can mess with your sleep cycle. But did you know that the lights in your home could also be robbing you of your much-needed shuteye? As great as energy-efficient light bulbs are for your wallet and the environment, they’re often enriched with blue light.
While all lights can affect your sleep cycle, blue light is the most effective type of light for telling your brain it’s daytime. When you’re exposed to it, it suppresses the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, which leads to you staring at the ceiling at 1 am!
So, what’s a girl to do? Hang out with no lights or electronics at night, in the interest of getting a better night’s sleep? Thankfully not. Several brands like Phillips and Lighting Science have come to our rescue with blue light-blocking lightbulbs. With a colour temperature of around 2700-2800 K, they emit a yellowish glow that deplete blue light.
That said, the bulbs don’t completely undo the damage done by using electronic devices at night. So, if you’re still staying up late watching Netflix or scrolling through Instagram, you’re not doing yourself any favours. However, you can minimise the effect by installing a blue light blocker like f.lux onto your devices and switching off at least two hours before bed. You can also try some of these surprising ways to fall asleep quickly. Sweet dreams!
You can find out more about blue-light blocking lightbulbs here.
