Ban Blue Light and Sleep Better

Most electronic devices emit a type of light called ‘blue light.’ Your smartphone, tablet, TV, and even some energy-efficient light bulbs will cause eye strain triggered by blue light. This type of eye strain can cause several health issues like cataracts, macular degeneration, mood disorders, and poor sleep quality.

To eliminate blue light, you’ll want to follow these tips, but the most important is to stop blue light at least three hours before going to bed so that you can sleep better.

• Cut Down on Screen Time – The number one thing you need to do if you can’t get to sleep at night is to start cutting down on screen time. It’s hard to separate yourself sometimes from your smartphone, but you'll benefit greatly if you can block out time away from it.

• Go Old School – One way to cut down on screen time is to use old-school methods for some of the tasks you need to do. For example, outline your book using pen and paper, make your grocery list by writing them down.

• Take Breaks – If you must use your electronics and look at screens, ensure that you arrange to take regular breaks. A good practice that helps is to take a ten-minute break to get up and move around and rest your eyes every 90 minutes of screen time.

• Turn Off All Devices 3 Hours Before Bed – It takes a while for your brain and eyes to adjust without the blue light. So if you want to go to sleep faster, it’s imperative to eliminate it from your life for this long before bed.

• Get Blue Blocker Glasses – Another way you can help yourself is to get blue blocker glasses. These glasses have a filter to look at screens longer; however, don’t use it that way. Instead, use them but still cut down on screen time.

• Add a Blue Blocking Filter to Your Screens – There are also filters you can physically add to your screens, as well as programs you can download for your devices that block the blue light.

• Take a Good Supplement – A few supplements help your eyes, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. Studies show that these supplements lessen eye strain, headaches, and sleep disturbances caused by blue light.

• Talk to Your Eye Doctor – If you feel eye strain and cannot sleep at night, talk to your eye doctor about this when you get your next exam. They may be able to help you figure out the problem.

Electronics are fabulous, but sometimes the old way works just as well and can be beneficial if you’re having problems getting to sleep. These tips will help you avoid blue light and start sleeping more soundly each night. When you sleep more soundly and actually get rest, you will be exponentially more productive every single day.