The sleep-Wake rhythm depends heavily on the Light-Dark change. Normally the internal body clock that the body at night, Melatonin is release: of This hormone makes us sleepy and tired. In the sleep center of the undistributed amount of Melatonin is at its greatest. Light suppresses the secretion of Melatonin.
Earlier, the sun is the main light source. The people spent their evenings at the time in (relative) darkness. But today we can illuminate our surroundings, in the evening, and at night artificial light. The internal clock of the body device through this artificial lighting is quickly out of balance.
Because in the evening and at night, under the light suppresses the normal nightly release of Melatonin. The result is that the internal clock is slow the next Morning. The result is severe fatigue.
All the light colors do not have the same effect. The internal clock is determined by the proportion of blue in the light. Blue light is the most important wavelength for sleep and mood is so.
Blue light keeps you awake
Normal daylight has a high proportion of blue light. And that is a good thing: during the day, the effect of blue wavelengths is a positive, because they are attention, reaction times and mood will improve.
However, modern lighting and electronics with screens to ensure that we get more and more blue light after sunset. In the evening, and at night works blue light is harmful, because it is the brain awake and thus interfere with sleep can.
Blue light in the night is one reason that many people do not get enough sleep.
Thus, for example, the proportion of blue light in LED Displays is often higher than in the light of day. In the evening hours watching TV or sitting at the Computer and before going to bed to go to the cell phone look – all of which can cause sleep disorders.
Who looks at before going to bed on LED screens, a sleeping demonstrably later and slows down its internal clock. The next day, one has to contend with increased fatigue, with corresponding consequences for education or professional services.
In this case, the light does not have to be particularly bright. Even weak blue light can affect the secretion of Melatonin and the sleep-Wake rhythm.
How to sleep Better
Who wants to be physically and mentally fully function properly, you need a normal sleep. This requires a undisturbed sleep-Wake rhythm. In order to achieve this, you can see one blue light use – it only comes on the right time to:
- At the right time, blue light optimizes the sleep-Wake rhythm,
- at the wrong time, it makes him upset.
Therefore, should the blue light in the evening and at night avoid. The most important tips here are:
- Use night lighting only light with a low proportion of blue – best weak red light. Red light has the least impact on the sleep-Wake rhythm.
- You no longer look in the last two hours before going to bed on bright screens. For bookworms, for example, that is to say: to grip in the Evening, prefer a paper book instead of the E-Book (or an E-Book Reader to use, its light decreases in the evening, the blue light portion).
- If you use the night display screen equipment, wear a pair of glasses with blue light filter, or you can use devices only in the night mode, in which blue wavelengths are filtered (and possibly a corresponding App install).
- Expose yourself to plenty of bright light – for example, through the walks: The improves sleep ability at night, as well as your mood and alertness the day.
Sources
Online information of the Pschyrembel: www.pschyrembel.de (retrieval date: 7.11.2019)
Blue light has a dark side. Online information from Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University: www.health.harvard.edu (status: 13.8.2018)
van der Lely, S., et al.: Blue Blocker Glasses as a Countermeasure for Alerting Effects of Evening Light-Emitting Diode Screen Exposure in Male Teenagers. Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 56, Iss. 1, PP 113-119 (January 2015)
Spitzer, M.: sleepless with blue light. Nervenheilkunde, Vol. 34, Iss. 7, pp. 560-562 (January 2015)
If blue light is robbing the sleep. Online information of doctors newspaper: www.aerztezeitung.de (as of 2.4.2012)
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Last content review: 07.11.2019last Modification: 28.01.2019
*The article “sleep disorders due to blue light in LED Displays?” is published by Onmeda. Contact with the executives here.