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Cell phones, Computers, and the Sun: How Exposure to Blue Light May Affect Sleep Patterns

With the spring season bringing warmer weather and brighter days, spending time in the sun certainly seems like the ideal way to celebrate Earth Day. After all, the sun makes the Earth the place we know and love by promoting plant growth, maintaining ecosystems, and keeping us warm. The sun also gives off blue light, helping us feel awake, energized, and ready to take on the day’s activities. However, digital devices such as smartphones, TVs, and computer screens also emit blue light, which can impact our ability to fall asleep.

Dr. Dagny Zhu, MD, an ophthalmologist, and member of the Eyesafe Vision Health Advisory Board (VHAB), tells us how the blue light from our digital screens may affect our sleep and overall well-being. “You may have heard about the linkage between using digital devices at night and sleep,” says Dr. Zhu. “Using devices at night tricks our minds into thinking its daytime by suppressing the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone.”

Based in Los Angeles, Dr. Zhu joined the Eyesafe VHAB in September 2021. She works closely with several other ophthalmologists and optometrists who are concerned about our rising blue light exposure. These doctors provide valuable guidance to Eyesafe and decode the growing body of research surrounding blue light.

With screen time increasing since the onset of COVID-19, so are the questions surrounding blue light. Many people who use digital devices may wonder if they should limit their device use at night, or whether blue light glasses effectively reduce the potential symptoms of blue light exposure.

Blue light is all around us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything about it. In this video Dr. Zhu dives into the ways in which both the sun and our digital screens emit blue light, how those emissions relate to our sleep cycles, and the proactive measures people can take to limit blue light exposure.

 

 


About Eyesafe
Eyesafe Inc. is the worldwide supplier of advanced blue light mitigating technology, solutions, and standards. With pioneering products and services, in collaboration with healthcare, Eyesafe is shaping the future of consumer electronics. Eyesafe® Standards, Eyesafe® Technology, and the associated intellectual property portfolio is developed by a world-class team of eye doctors, engineers, and scientists with decades of experience in electronics, display materials, light management, optometry, and ophthalmology. The Eyesafe brand is trusted by consumers and integrated in millions of digital devices from Dell, HP, Lenovo, ZAGG and others. Eyesafe was recently ranked #5 in the computer hardware category in the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America. Learn more at eyesafe.com.

Media Contact:
Arick Wierson
+1 952-999-1741
[email protected]

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