When thinking about health, the first thing that comes to mind is exercise and healthy eating. This is certainly a good start, but unfortunately human biology is much more complex! You also need to consider the quality of your sleep and how it affects your hormones.
The light we are exposed to everyday has a great impact on your health because your hormones are predominantly regulated by your light-sensitive cells, more specifically in your eyes.
Digital devices (computers, cell phones, TVs, etc.) and modern light sources (LEDs, fluorescents, overhead lights, etc.) all emit large amounts of artificial blue and green light (short wavelength light), which is absorbed by your light-sensitive cells and disturbs your hormonal balance.
Consequentially this disrupts your circadian rhythm and ruins sleep, which can lead to health problems such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, mental health issues, and much more!
In the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, there is less sunlight during the winter season. During this time, it’s common to get the “winter blues”, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). An indoor lifestyle with excessive artificial light and lack of sunlight increases the production of the stress hormone, cortisol, which leaves you in a chronically stressed state – resulting in SAD.
Sunlight exposure during the winter is therefore essential for an optimal circadian rhythm, and to mitigate SAD. But even with sufficient sunlight exposure, the overexposure of artificial light after dark will leave you in chronic stress and impair melatonin production. Melatonin is a sleep hormone and a major antioxidant.
Natural sunlight contains full-spectrum light which optimises your hormones, vitamin D levels and mood-boosting neurotransmitters including dopamine and serotonin. Ultimately, this leads to higher melatonin levels at night which positively affects sleep quality and prevents various health issues!
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In addition to the benefits of the Clear and Yellow lenses:
On average most of us spend more than 10 hours a day in front of digital devices, and even more indoors with unhealthy artificial lighting. Blue light after dark is unnatural and tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime. It stimulates and energises the brain, which keeps you alert and awake while increasing your cortisol levels. Blue light simultaneously suppresses your body’s melatonin production. Even the smallest amount of blue light after dark is enough to stop the melatonin secretion and revert your melatonin levels to zero in a matter of few minutes.