Welcome back to the mental health section of BQ Broadside! I’m switching up the usual program; I’d like to talk about what effect blue light has on us and our quality of sleep.
Even though many of us may already be familiar with this, it never hurts to have a little reminder about the effects of too much phone usage, mindlessly scrolling, or even procrastinating, and who knows, you might even learn something new along the way! That being said, let’s get started with today’s topic: blue light vs. our eyes. We’re constantly surrounded by screens, phones, laptops, TVs, and other devices, which also means that we’re exposed to the blue light said screens may emit. As many of us use our screens late into the night, this is a problem because one of the effects blue light has is that it suppresses melatonin, the hormone that tells our body it’s time to sleep. According to Harvard Health, exposure to blue light before bed can shift our circadian rhythm, making it harder (or even harder) to fall asleep and can lead to sleep deprivation. For students, this lack of rest usually contributes to stress, difficulty focusing in general, and worsened mental health.**
To combat this, we can take simple steps: enabling blue light filters on devices, using blue light-blocking glasses, setting a screen curfew before bed, and increasing exposure to natural light during the day. While screens could sometimes be unavoidable, being mindful of blue light’s effects and adjusting our habits can improve both sleep and overall well-being. So, maybe tonight, let’s put our phones away a little earlier, our brains will thank us for it!
You can read more about this here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side, https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/blue-light-effects-on-your-eyes-sleep-and-health/2022/08
**There is definitely more to blue light and its effects on us and our bodies, I mentioned only a portion of what it may affect and how it may affect it. Given the topic at hand, I didn’t go into more of the other aspects too much, so I may make another article explaining further or adding another take, however, I still hope you enjoyed this one!