With today’s technology and competition, there is no doubt that most of us spend time at night on our phones, laptops, televisions, even tablets. Most of us can feel the eye-strain from overuse of these devices; yet, not many people know the negative effects that they have on a person’s body when used at night time. This article covers information about those negative effects on our bodies and recommendations on how to prevent them.
I’ve learned that one source of damage to the body is blue light – a specific light frequency and wavelength emitted by some electronic devices, which is linked to damages to the body over long exposure.
Which electronics emit blue light?
- LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) lighting – One of the most common lighting known to emit more blue light than fluorescent.
- Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) screens – Used in phones, computers, TVs, Tablets etc.
Does that mean blue lighting overall is bad, and we should never use an electronic device? Not necessarily. According to the Harvard Health Letter’s article, “Blue light has a dark side” of May 2012, blue wavelengths are “beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood”. Nevertheless, they are disruptive at night time. “Studies show being exposed to light at night may link to cancer, heart disease, even obesity” (“Blue Light,” 2012). Blue light is not damaging during the day, but it can be damaging at night time.
One way light at night affects your body is by changing your circadian rhythms – aka, your biological clock- which, according to the article, a person’s sleeping habits may affect it. Exposure to artificial light at night time changes our rhythm by “suppressing the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences our rhythm” (“Blue Light,” 2012).
While all light at night time affects our circadian rhythms, blue light can throw off your circadian rhythms more than any other kind of light. “While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light does so more powerfully” (“Blue Light,” 2012). And, when the lights are off at night time except for the TV, your phone, laptop, or tablet, you are receiving blue lighting uninterrupted or unfiltered by other natural lighting.
There are other side-effects. Additionally, exposure to blue light at night can cause blood sugar levels to increase, “putting a person into pre-diabetic state”, as well as cause leptin hormone levels to drop, reducing the “I’m full” feeling. Plus, “Lower melatonin levels might explain the association with cancer” (“Blue Light,” 2012). Diabetes. Obesity. Cancer…Scary. Right?
So how can one prevent all these things? Luckily, the solutions vary.
- For computers, there is software that adjusts the screen colors automatically to the time of day or room you are in. This one is free for Windows: http://justgetflux.
com. - There is preventative eyewear that can be purchased in a yellow tint or clear tint usually from websites such as www.gunnars.com orwww.sleepshield.com.
- And finally, I found this article that gives some recommendations on how to protect your vision: www.wikihow.com/
Protect-Your-Eyes-when-Using- a-Computer.
I hope this information will prove helpful for you as you protect your health.
Contributions to this article were made by Harry Albert, Tech Helpline Technical Analyst.
Work Cited:
Blue light has a dark side. (May 2012). Harvard Health Letter, Harvard Medical School. Retrieved fromhttp://www.health.harvard.edu/
_Letter2012/May/blue-light-
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