Blue Light After Dark

Blue light has become a little bit of a hot button issue in recent years. From special blue light-reducing glasses, to smartphones that come with blue light filters, it seems everyone is concerned. Is blue light really toxic, though? Well, the answer isn’t quite that simple. Blue light can be good during the day; it can help keep you awake, and full of energy.

But at night, there’s another side to blue light that’s a little more sinister. While blue light might not be toxic in a more traditional sense, like chlorine or mercury, it can be harmful to your health in other ways. Prolonged exposure to blue light after dark, when your body is winding down, can disrupt your circadian rhythm (your sleep/wake cycle), making it difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Poor sleep can lead to impaired brain function, weight gain, hormonal imbalance, and even heart disease. So make sure to turn off all your blue light-emitting devices well before bedtime and, if you must use them, turn on your blue light filter, or invest in a pair of blue light-reducing glasses.