A new study found that “white” LED bulbs, which are on the blue light spectrum, suppress your body’s production of melatonin five times more than some other bulbs. Melatonin is the hormone that tells your body when it’s time to go to sleep and when to wake up, so suppressing melatonin can not only wreak havoc on restful sleep but your overall health as well.

Normally, when it’s dark, your body releases Melatonin to promote relaxation and sleep. If you’re exposed to too much blue light at night, your body thinks it’s daylight and releases less melatonin, which can disrupt normal sleep patterns. Without adequate sleep, your thinking, memory and planning abilities suffer and you are at increased risk of developing many serious health conditions.

While the research focused on outdoor light pollution, any indoor exposure to blue light after nightfall can affect your melatonin levels as well. This includes TV screens, monitors and yes, even night lights.

The researchers examined the differences in melatonin suppression in various types of light bulbs, primarily those used for outdoor illumination, such as streetlights, stadium lights, and mall lighting. They took as a reference point the level of melatonin suppression by a high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulb, a bulb that gives off orange-yellow light and is often used for street and road lighting, and compared the data from the other bulbs to that one.

They found that metal halide bulbs, which give off a white light and are used for stadium lighting, among other uses, suppress melatonin at a rate more than 3 times greater than the HPS bulb, while the light-emitting diode (LED) bulb, which also gives off a white light, suppresses melatonin at a rate more than 5 times higher than the HPS bulb.

With the current trend to migrate from sodium lamps to more efficient and brighter LED lamps, you may be at risk for increasing levels of white lights--and sleepless nights.

But there are some simple steps you can take to limit the effects of white lights:

• Don’t sleep with the lights on.
• Avoid using night lights in the bedroom. If you need to get up at night, switch on a nightstand light or position a nightlight in the hall or nearby room, (i.e. bathroom).
• Keep your sleeping quarters pitch black by using blinds or “blackout” curtains.
• In lieu of heavy curtains, wear a “sleep mask” over your eyes at night to block out any light.
• After dark, limit exposure to white lights including overhead lights and electronics like TVs and laptops.
• In the evening use table lamps with soft white bulbs and shades to provide a soft glow.

Source:

Eurekalert