According to a new study, blue light emitted by television and other screens inhibits the natural mechanism that helps us fall asleep at night, but simply blocking the blue wavelength may return to normal night drowsiness.
Swiss researchers found that wearing glasses for a week every night, young boys using computers and other digital devices were significantly more relaxed and sleepy before going to bed than wearing only transparent glasses.
"The LED screen is very wide --
Used for smartphones, tablets, computer monitors and televisions, "said Vivian Brumont, co-author of the study and at the time biology center of the University of Basel psychiatric hospital.
"The effect of screen light on day and night physiology is particularly high in devices close to our eyes," Bromundt told Reuters Health Channel via email . ".
"Watching these screens at night can keep teenagers awake because it involves light exposure, especially on a blue screen --
The biological clock and its associated wake-up promote the wavelength range with maximum sensitivity.
"In previous studies, watching a computer screen in bed was related to insomnia and difficulty waking up in the morning.
Light affects circadian rhythm and sleep
Wake-Up Cycles, the authors point out.
The research team wrote in The Journal of Adolescent Health that teenagers are already clearly inclined to stay up late.
However, in order to go to school, it is necessary to get up early, which creates a long-term sleep burden and affects the mood and attention of teenagers. Light-LEDs (LED)
Short screen
Wavelength light, which has been shown to prevent the natural nighttime rise of the hormone melotonin that promotes drowsiness.
Exposed to this blue light, the brain stays vigilant and "activated" when it should slow down into sleep mode, the researchers said ".
In the new study, they used orangetinted “blue-
Shield "glasses, filter out short-wave long light in the blue part of the visible spectrum.
The researchers recruited 13 healthy boys between the ages of 15 and 17 for a week, and the teenagers kept a normal sleep schedule at home, but did not go out at night and did not drink caffeine. They wore blue-
Block glasses for 6 pm.
Until going to bed every night while recording the time they wear glasses and the time they spend with LED and non-LED
LED screen and sleep-wake log.
During the weekend, the participants spent the night in the lab, sitting in the dim light for two hours, dark for half an hour, then it was three hours dark in front of the backlit LED computer screen with blue blocking glasses.
They completed the cognitive test and provided a sample of saliva.
Participants then slept for 8 hours, and again when they woke up in the lab, the same cognitive test and saliva samples were performed.
All participants took part in two week-long study programs, one in blue
The contrast between the Blocker glasses and the glasses that have been worn.
It is reported that the children spent the same amount of time on the LED screen with blue color
Shelter and clear glasses.
They reported that wearing blue blocking glasses felt colder, especially at the end of the night.
According to their saliva samples, children wearing clear glasses have less melatonin before going to bed, called "dark hormone ".
Children wearing blue interception glasses have higher levels of melatonin from 90 minutes to 5 minutes before going to bed.
The type of glasses seems to have no effect on the length or perceived quality of sleep itself. The short-
Bromundt said that the wavelength light in the eyes responding to blue light is experienced to reset the time of the internal clock, inhibit the production of melatonin, improve alertness and performance, and improve the activation of the brain.
"So the blue blocker can prevent light reactions that don't help when our body and mind have to be ready to sleep at night," she said . ". But the blue-
Blocking Glasses also blocks a lot of light, not just blue light, says Mary.
Carskadon studies the association between sleep regulation mechanism and sleep
Awakening behavior of children, teenagers and young people at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
"Not only did they block the blue, but they also blocked a lot of light, so overall it was darker," Carskadon said . " He was not involved in the new study.
"So it's hard to detect exactly what's causing the less significant impact they're seeing.
"If it's not blue light, but the general dim light is different, it might have the same effect if the kids just turn down the brightness of the device," she said.
Children wearing transparent glasses perform better on cognitive tasks and respond faster than children wearing blue blocking glasses.
"If children are looking at the screen and playing video games, they don't want their performance to be affected," Carskadon said . ".
Although after a week of use in this study, they did not change other measurable aspects of sleep time, latency, or sleep quality, blue-
Blocking Glasses does seem to increase sleep preparation for male teenagers, says Bromundt.
For female teenagers, the results may be the same, she said.
"More and more suppliers of light treatment equipment provide blue
Blocking Glasses within their product range, because whether it is bright light at the right time of the day, or dark or light --
Blocking devices at night and at night are used to consolidate our sleep
Wake up cycle so can improve sleep and health
Said Bromundt.
Brown or yellow colored glasses may also reduce the transparency of light, but will not block the light in the blue wavelength range as orange glasses do, she said.
Carskadon told Reuters Health channel that limiting screen time can be just as difficult for adults and children.
"Many adults may use these devices longer than they are healthy when they may and should sleep," she said . ".
"Common sense is a bit outdated.