• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Health Hearty

Health Hearty

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Articles

What are the Real Blue Light Effects on Our Bodies?

Home / Sleep / What are the Real Blue Light Effects on Our Bodies?

When you hear the phrase “blue light,” it is referring to the actual blue light wavelengths we are exposed to every day. While authentic sources of blue light are good for our bodies, excessive exposure from artificial sources has become a topic of conversation due to its potential hazardous effects on our health. Here, we will dive into what you need to know about blue light effects.

Understanding Blue Light

Blue light in its pure and natural form comes from the sun. That big ray of sunshine consists of various colors like red, green and blue. These are the rays of color that are visible to our human eyes.

This natural blue light is mostly responsible for regulating our sleep pattern, also known as our circadian rhythm. Additionally, it can have a profound effect on our mood, attention span and reaction time. And that makes sense because if we aren’t getting proper sleep, we tend to be grumpy, slow and out of tune to what is going on around us, right?

Would you like to write for us? Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. Get in touch with us and we'll talk...

Let's Work Together!

On the other hand, artificial sources of blue light include cell phones, computers, TVs, LED lightbulbs and tablets. These artificial sources are the largest cause for concern.

Negative Blue Light Effects

So, what’s the big deal about artificial blue light? Turns out there are quite a few risk factors.

Computers, tablets, cell phones and TVs are wreaking havoc on our health. Undoubtedly, many of us are connected to one of these electronics for hours each day. The blue light effects due to overuse of these electronics can lead to:

  • Blurry vision
  • Difficulty focusing
  • Headaches
  • Neck and back pain

However, one of the biggest concerns regarding blue light is that it could contribute to a higher risk for cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and depression. Interestingly though, the reason for these possible increased health risks stems from one major factor we’ve already discussed: the circadian rhythm. We’ve all heard how important sound sleep is to our overall health, and this just seems to solidify that point.

Mitigating Blue Light Effects

Now, since we are exposed to blue light so much, what do we do to mitigate its effects? Here are a few tips:

  • Follow the 20-20-20 rule when working with electronics. In order to give your eyes (and mind) a break, take a 20 second break every 20 minutes to focus on something at least 20 feet away. If necessary, extend your breaks.
  • Wear blue-light filtering glasses. These glasses elicit mixed feelings on their effectiveness, but being that you can pick up an inexpensive pair, they may be worth a try.
  • Limit blue light while you’re sleeping. If you’re one to sleep with the lights on or even use a nightlight while sleeping, switch to one that emits red light instead.
  • Cut down on electronics use before bedtime. Turn off those electronics at least one to two hours before you hit the hay.
  • Try a blue-light filtering app. There are several different blue light filtering apps available for download on your electronic devices. Do your research, read the reviews and see which one may be a good choice for you.

Given our increased reliance on technology, it’s almost impossible to completely eliminate blue light from electronic sources. Nonetheless, making an effort to limit our exposure can prove beneficial.

Summary

To close, blue light effects on our bodies can come from a variety of sources. But once you understand the impacts of those sources, you can then begin to mitigate the side effects. Don’t take any chances with your health!

Like it? Share it!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
« Previous Post
Next Post »

Category iconSleep Tag iconblue light,  blue light effects,  blue light filters,  blue light glasses,  blue light software,  circadian rhythm,  sleep cycle

Get Updates Right to Your Inbox

Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox.
Blog Updates

Further Insights

">blue light test
">How to Perform an Accurate Blue Light Test
October 12, 2020
">blue light glasses computer
">What’s the Point of Blue Light Glasses?
October 1, 2020

Primary Sidebar

Search

Latest Articles

selection of foods for whole30

A Whole30 Calendar That Will Simplify Meal Planning

whole30 dinner on a plate

Easy Whole30 Dinners for the Busy Lifestyle

cbd oil bottle

Can You Use CBD Oil for Skin Cancer Treatment?

recipe in a book

Paleo Recipes That Make Following the Plan a Breeze

Exploring the website?

Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there!

Footer

We hope you are enjoying HealthHearty! We offer the latest information for being the best, most healthy “you” you can be, covering areas ranging from nutrition and exercise to sleep and stress management.
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Copyright © Health Hearty & Buzzle.com, Inc.
6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT