Blue light: What is it and How Does it Affect Us?

What is Blue Light?

Everything in the world is pulsing with electromagnetic energy. Electromagnetic waves travel around and even through us. Each color of light has a different effect. Blue wavelengths have been shown to be the most disruptive during the night-time hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood during daytime hours. You are also exposed to blue wavelengths more frequently, especially after midnight, thanks to electronic devices with screens and energy-efficient lighting.

Among all the color bands, blue light has the shortest wavelength. This wavelength ranges from 380 to 500 nanometres (nm). Another interesting aspect of blue light is that it appears right next to UV rays on the spectrum. Using a wavelength range of 100-380 nm, UVs have shorter wavelengths and are higher in energy than blue light. Since too much UV exposure is known to be harmful, this is potentially significant. Although not proven, it is possible that blue light may have a greater impact on us than other colors of light because its highest-energy waves are comparable to UV rays. Blue light is primarily caused by the sun. When it comes to the amount of exposure, this is what provides the most.

Blue light is also emitted by the following sources:

• LED lights and technology
• Fluorescent lights
• Computer and laptop screens
• Smartphone screens
• Television screens
• Tablet screens

Compared to sunlight, these sources emit less blue light than those that come from natural sources. The time of exposure can really add up for most people in this case. Having access to blue light all day means you can be exposed to it whenever you want.

Blue Light Effect on Health:

Your devices likely emit blue light while you use your smartphones, laptops, computers, and tablets. As people spend more and more time in front of screens, should you be worried about the blue light entering your eyes? What can it do to your health? 

Benefits of Blue Light

Boost Alertness: Your alertness is naturally boosted as a result of exposure to blue light. It is actually important for your biological clock to be exposed to it during the day (especially from sunlight). This inner mechanism has a number of functions - such as hormone secretion, metabolism, and even blood pressure - that keep you alert, energized and focused throughout the day. It is important for optimal health to expose yourself to the right kind of blue light.

Promotes Brain Health and Memory: Additionally, blue light has been found to improve your memory and cognitive abilities. You are probably more alert and your biological clock stays on the course since it improves alertness.

Can Help With Seasonal Depression: The addition of more blue light is not generally recommended, but it can be advantageous for those who suffer from seasonal depression. A type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) develops when there is not enough sunlight during the winter.

Blue light's Harmful Effects:

Blue Light Can Disrupt Sleep Schedules: In order to stay alert and awake during the day, our bodies follow a natural cycle. This natural rhythm, called the Circadian rhythm, is negatively affected when you stare at these screens for too long, particularly before you go to sleep.

Melatonin, a hormone that signals when to sleep, becomes disrupted due to this. Sleeping patterns can be ruined and you will have a difficult time falling asleep. The next section describes how depriving yourself of sleep for too long can result in several serious health problems.

Impairment of Cognition: Having disturbed sleep for a long time causes neurotoxins to build up, leading to a vicious cycle of worsening symptoms. Your cognitive abilities will eventually be affected if you do not get adequate sleep, which can affect your school/job performance as well as any other situation requiring you to concentrate.

It May Affects Your Memory: A disturbed sleep cycle disrupts your brain's restorative and rejuvenating processes, which will negatively impact your daytime memory. An imbalance in melatonin production causes sleep hygiene problems.

Poor Immune Function: Sleeping promotes the production of protective cytokines that fight infection. You are more likely to contract an infection and become ill if you do not get enough sleep to build up cytokines in the immune system.

Diabetic Risk Increases With Insufficient Sleep: Blue light exposure has been linked to diabetes in a Harvard study. An increase in blood sugar can be caused by disrupting the Circadian rhythm, which reduces the level of leptin in the body.

Obesity: The hormones that control hunger can also be affected by disruptions in melatonin production. High-processed foods with low nutritional value eventually contribute to obesity in conjunction with poor eating habits.

The Risk of Cancer Increases: Research has linked nighttime smartphone use to some types of breast and prostate cancer. Moreover, the reduced production of melatonin leads to lower melatonin levels, which have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

Damages Vision: Studies have found that staring at your smartphones constantly can cause age-related macular degeneration by damaging your retina over time. Blindness and impaired vision are symptoms of macular degeneration, a common and serious cause of vision loss. Researchers are investigating the impact of blue light on cataracts. Digital eye strain is believed to result from prolonged use of your smartphone, which can lead to reduced blinking rates. In addition to irritation, dry eyes, blurry vision, headaches, neck pain, and back pain are possible symptoms of this kind of strain on the eyes.

Depression is Possible: Blue light suppresses or disrupts melatonin levels in your body, resulting in clinical depression.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself from the Negative Effects of Blue Light/  How to Protect Yourself from Blue light:

It is important to point out that blue light is not completely harmful. It is actually helpful for your health when it is exposed to it in the form of sunlight. The exposure is the almost constant and close range for those who use a desktop or laptop. There are many cases of people having blue light sources on right up until sleep time, resulting in all kinds of sleep troubles. Some targeted methods of reducing blue light exposure are possible without giving up technology.

Before going to bed, avoid using electronic devices: In order to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, you should stop using electronic devices 2-3 hours before bed.

Try using a blue light filter: Apps that block blue light are becoming increasingly popular on electronic devices. When it's time to sleep if you're not willing to give up screens at night, at least start using one of these filters between 2-3 hours before bedtime. Your device is most likely to switch to "night mode" by using warmer tones of light.

Light Sources inside Home: The blue light emitted by fluorescent and LED bulbs is also important to remember. They don't require as much attention as your phone's screens, but having them on late at night can still affect your sleep. It is a good idea to dim the lights a few hours before you go to bed. Use red lamps and night lights instead of blue, which are less likely to disrupt circadian rhythms.

Limit the use of man-made blue light during the day: It may help your eyes if you reduce the amount of blue light your screen emits during the day. Wearing blue light-filtering glasses may help. Alternatively, you can get screen protectors that block blue light.

Take In More Sunshine During The Day: Sunlight, which is a natural source of blue light, is beneficial for your sleep cycle and circadian rhythm. Blue light is a vital part of recharging your body during the day, so don't spend all of your time indoors!