NOTE: This was originally posted in October of 2018. Now with almost everyone working from home, and even the kids doing classes online, we thought it would be a good time to bring this one back. We’ve updated it a bit so it’s more current – mainly we have found more stylish glasses! The research remains solid and now after almost two years of wearing blue blockers, we recommend them 100%! Great sleep is a must for a strong immune system – blocking out blue light before bed especially is a great contributor to a better night’s sleep. Please enjoy our updated version of this post:
Sleep, Workout, Eat well, Drink “FloWater”, Meditate, Repeat!!
In today’s data driven technology world with headbands, bracelets, rings and numerous other devices that can track our health, it can be quite overwhelming! We’ve known for years that we need to eat well, exercise, sleep, etc. for optimum health, but is there one change that we can make; is there one thing we can do to improve our quality of life? YES! Sleep is that one thing. Sleep allows our body to repair itself; it affects every aspect of our health, from our brain function, to our physical and mental well-being, if we’re not getting enough.
When you sleep your brain forms new pathways for learning and remembering. You will have better creativity and problem-solving skills. It has been shown that during good quality sleep, the brain clears away toxic proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Sleep not only affects your brain, but your overall health. Chronic sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. It also increases the risk of obesity, depresses your immune system, and negatively affects hormone levels. The list is endless!
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends that teenagers get 8-10 hours, and adults over 18 get 7-8 hours each night. But how do we get enough quality sleep? Already using a CPAP machine and feeling like Darth Vader? 😉 Trying not to take Ambien or other sleeping pills? There are a few simple things that you can do: a sauna or even a hot bath will not only relax you, but as your body works to cool itself down afterwards, it results in a more optimal core temperature for sleeping. Drinking warm water with honey and apple cider vinegar, or simply eating 1-2 teaspoons of raw honey, will help to keep insulin levels normalized and allow tryptophan to more readily enter the brain to help induce sleep. A sleep mask will help keep light out as well. [Read more on light-at-night here.]
Our obsession for promoting quality sleep is blue blocker glasses. Junk blue light from our phones, computer screens and artificial indoor lighting, suppresses melatonin and wreaks havoc on our bodies’ circadian rhythms. This negatively impacts our ability to fall asleep and sleep well. If you are on your phone and on the computer most of the day, as we all are, it can lead to eye strain and headaches. Blue light has also been linked to macular degeneration. In an age where adults and young kids are now exposed more than ever to screens of all kinds, it’s important that we’re protecting our kids and ourselves from potential vision problems in the future. If something as simple as wearing a pair of dorky (or not-so-dorky) glasses will help, we are all for it!
We wear blue blockers for computer work, while checking our phones, and a few hours before bedtime. As much as we try to minimize the use of technology, it’s almost impossible. Our kids are wearing the latest blue blocker glasses while they do homework and when they are gaming, and now while distance learning too. They love the variety of styles they can choose from and the cool technology – and they actually wear them! To promote better quality sleep, wearing them two hours before bed helps filter out the blue light (which we also get from the sun) so our body knows it’s no longer daytime, and therefore melatonin is produced and we can fall asleep when our body is supposed to based on our circadian rhythm.
Here are a few of the brands that we have tried and would recommend: gunnar.com, swanwicksleep.com and truedark.com. Our top favorite, however, is Felix Gray. They have the most stylish frames and great customer service. They also offer prescription lenses as well as readers. Warby Parker, which we love, offers blue light blocking lenses in their glasses so there are many options to choose from.
If you’d like more information, here are some good articles on sleep deprivation as well as blue blockers:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency
Leave A Comment