Should I Get Blue Light Glasses?
Understanding How Light Impacts Sleep
We talk a lot about diet and exercise, but we often forget one of the biggest drivers of health. Light. Light has a huge effect on how you feel, how you sleep, and how your body works.
Your body runs on an internal clock called the circadian rhythm. You were designed to wake up when the sun comes up and go to sleep when the sun goes down. When you fight that rhythm, your health pays the price. There is a reason we call the night shift the “graveyard shift.” Studies show that shift workers actually have shorter lifespans.
Today, most of us live in a kind of artificial daytime. The lighting in your home, your phone, your TV, and your laptop all blast blue light at your brain. Even at 11 o’clock at night, your brain thinks it is noon.
Here is why that matters. Melatonin is the hormone that helps you fall asleep. Your body releases it when the sun goes down. But bright artificial light blocks melatonin production, and your sleep quality drops.
Here is an interesting side note. Melatonin does more than help you sleep. It also tightens the valve between your esophagus and your stomach. That valve prevents the backflow of stomach acid. If your melatonin level is low, that valve gets lax. I have found melatonin helpful for patients suffering from nighttime reflux.
So how do we fix this? I use a two-step approach.
Step One: The Evening Fix
To protect your sleep, try blue light blocking glasses in the evening. But here is something to know. The standard blue light coating on regular prescription glasses is usually not enough for nighttime. You want glasses specifically designed to block that spectrum. They usually have an amber tint. Put them on about a half hour before bed. This helps your brain release melatonin naturally.
Step Two: The Morning Fix
In the winter, when the days are short, many of us wake up in the dark. That can trigger what is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or the “winter blues.”
That is where a Happy Light comes in. It simulates the sun coming up. It mimics natural sunlight and tells your brain, “Hey, wake up. The day has started.”
I had a patient who dreaded winter every year. Her mood would tank. She started using a Happy Light for 20 minutes each morning with her coffee. It was a game changer. Her energy stayed high all winter long. She was actually the first person to introduce me to the Happy Light. It was just another reminder of how often I learn something new from my patients.
So here is the simple two-step fix. Blue light blocking glasses in the evening. A Happy Light in the morning. Small changes can make a big difference in how you feel.
Authored by Gerard Guillory, MD
Gerard Guillory, MD, is a board-certified internist who practiced for nearly four decades with a focus on functional, root-cause medicine. He is the author of three books on irritable bowel syndrome and the founder of It’s My Health, where he and his team put current health news in context and help members understand the underlying causes of chronic symptoms.
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