Sleep is one of the best natural medicines for our body and our mind. We used to sleep when it was dark and wake up when it was daylight.
Nowadays, not only can we moderate our sleeping patterns by having electricity at night and taking sleeping pills when travelling, but also with the rise of technological gadgets and smart devices, to work and entertain ourselves 24 hours, as these gadgets can ‘follow’ us to our beds.
Did you know that gadgets and TV emit blue light which affects the brain and reduces the hormone melatonin (the one that assists sleep) and that could be a reason for more stress due to the lack of quality of sleep? These devices trick our brains into thinking that it is daytime (1).
Poor sleep is linked to heart disease, diabetes and depression. It is also one of the strongest risk factors for gaining weight (2, 3, 4).
Not only do we sleep less these days because of our hectic schedules, but we reduce the quality of sleep due to the late use of gadgets before sleeping.
Numerous studies suggest that blue light in the evening disrupts the brain’s natural sleep-wake cycles, which are crucial for an optimal function of the body (6, 7).
To change this bad habit, you can either stop using gadgets 90 minutes before going to bed or use blue-light blocking glasses.
The easiest and apparently most effective way to avoid blue light in the evening is to use amber-colored glasses. These glasses effectively block all blue light, so your brain doesn’t get the signal that it is supposed to stay awake. Studies show that when people use blue-light-blocking glasses, even in a lit room or using an electronic device, they produce just as much melatonin as if it were dark (8, 9).
Personally, I tried not to use gadgets before going to bed but the reality was that even my alarm clock was there, so I have equipped myself with a pair of Swanwick blue light blockers, which my friend Timothy Eisenman recommended.
They block 100% blue light, they look rather cool and can be a sleep-saver if you want to read on your Kindle or watch a relaxing movie before going to bed.
So here is my favourite hack to sleep better.
What is yours? Would love to hear from you.
With love & gratitude
Darya
P.S.: Here is the link to get the Swanwick glasses (apparently they are so popular even Arnold Schwarzenegger wears them at night).
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