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Give This a Try: Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses Before Bed

You know you need those sweet, sweet ZZZs, but it's bedtime and you're still wide awake. The main culprit? All that artificial light from light bulbs, TVs, and computer screens that goes straight into your eyes and sends signals to your brain that it's still daytime.

Consider giving blue-light-blocking glasses a try.

How to use blue-light-blocking glasses

  1. Look on Amazon for a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses and make sure the lenses are tinted yellow or orange. Here's a pretty cheap pair that will do the trick.*
  2. Wear them at night about 60-90 minutes before you want to be sleepy.

The science behind blue-light blocking glasses and sleep

Our eyes and our skin (interesting, right?!) detect light, and help our brains determine “day” from “night.”  This natural clock, also known as the circadian rhythm, is how our cells know if they should “stay awake” or “go to sleep.”

For example, when our eyes are exposed to light in the morning, they send signals to our brains to turn on the neurochemicals (natural chemicals produced by the brain) that help wake us up, and to turn off sleeping ones.

Then at night, as the sun goes down and we turn lights off, the opposite happens.

Melatonin is one of the most famous of these neurochemicals.

In an optimally-functioning brain, melatonin levels stay low during the day, then rise at night to help us sleep. But because darkness is the key to melatonin production, our melatonin levels are greatly affected by the use of artificial lights at night; the brighter it is, the less melatonin we produce.

If having the lights on at night is necessary, then wear special glasses to filter out blue light (the wavelength of light that is known to significantly suppress melatonin production).

These glasses block the wavelength of light that sends signals to our brain that it’s daytime. By wearing these glasses at night, artificial light and electronic screen light won’t have the same stimulating effect.


Give This a Try: Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses Before Bed

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Give This a Try: Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses Before Bed

Tossing and turning after screen time? Here's why blue-light-blocking glasses may be the key to better sleep

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The Family Thrive Expert Team

June 22, 2021

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You know you need those sweet, sweet ZZZs, but it's bedtime and you're still wide awake. The main culprit? All that artificial light from light bulbs, TVs, and computer screens that goes straight into your eyes and sends signals to your brain that it's still daytime.

Consider giving blue-light-blocking glasses a try.

How to use blue-light-blocking glasses

  1. Look on Amazon for a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses and make sure the lenses are tinted yellow or orange. Here's a pretty cheap pair that will do the trick.*
  2. Wear them at night about 60-90 minutes before you want to be sleepy.

The science behind blue-light blocking glasses and sleep

Our eyes and our skin (interesting, right?!) detect light, and help our brains determine “day” from “night.”  This natural clock, also known as the circadian rhythm, is how our cells know if they should “stay awake” or “go to sleep.”

For example, when our eyes are exposed to light in the morning, they send signals to our brains to turn on the neurochemicals (natural chemicals produced by the brain) that help wake us up, and to turn off sleeping ones.

Then at night, as the sun goes down and we turn lights off, the opposite happens.

Melatonin is one of the most famous of these neurochemicals.

In an optimally-functioning brain, melatonin levels stay low during the day, then rise at night to help us sleep. But because darkness is the key to melatonin production, our melatonin levels are greatly affected by the use of artificial lights at night; the brighter it is, the less melatonin we produce.

If having the lights on at night is necessary, then wear special glasses to filter out blue light (the wavelength of light that is known to significantly suppress melatonin production).

These glasses block the wavelength of light that sends signals to our brain that it’s daytime. By wearing these glasses at night, artificial light and electronic screen light won’t have the same stimulating effect.


You know you need those sweet, sweet ZZZs, but it's bedtime and you're still wide awake. The main culprit? All that artificial light from light bulbs, TVs, and computer screens that goes straight into your eyes and sends signals to your brain that it's still daytime.

Consider giving blue-light-blocking glasses a try.

How to use blue-light-blocking glasses

  1. Look on Amazon for a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses and make sure the lenses are tinted yellow or orange. Here's a pretty cheap pair that will do the trick.*
  2. Wear them at night about 60-90 minutes before you want to be sleepy.

The science behind blue-light blocking glasses and sleep

Our eyes and our skin (interesting, right?!) detect light, and help our brains determine “day” from “night.”  This natural clock, also known as the circadian rhythm, is how our cells know if they should “stay awake” or “go to sleep.”

For example, when our eyes are exposed to light in the morning, they send signals to our brains to turn on the neurochemicals (natural chemicals produced by the brain) that help wake us up, and to turn off sleeping ones.

Then at night, as the sun goes down and we turn lights off, the opposite happens.

Melatonin is one of the most famous of these neurochemicals.

In an optimally-functioning brain, melatonin levels stay low during the day, then rise at night to help us sleep. But because darkness is the key to melatonin production, our melatonin levels are greatly affected by the use of artificial lights at night; the brighter it is, the less melatonin we produce.

If having the lights on at night is necessary, then wear special glasses to filter out blue light (the wavelength of light that is known to significantly suppress melatonin production).

These glasses block the wavelength of light that sends signals to our brain that it’s daytime. By wearing these glasses at night, artificial light and electronic screen light won’t have the same stimulating effect.


You know you need those sweet, sweet ZZZs, but it's bedtime and you're still wide awake. The main culprit? All that artificial light from light bulbs, TVs, and computer screens that goes straight into your eyes and sends signals to your brain that it's still daytime.

Consider giving blue-light-blocking glasses a try.

How to use blue-light-blocking glasses

  1. Look on Amazon for a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses and make sure the lenses are tinted yellow or orange. Here's a pretty cheap pair that will do the trick.*
  2. Wear them at night about 60-90 minutes before you want to be sleepy.

The science behind blue-light blocking glasses and sleep

Our eyes and our skin (interesting, right?!) detect light, and help our brains determine “day” from “night.”  This natural clock, also known as the circadian rhythm, is how our cells know if they should “stay awake” or “go to sleep.”

For example, when our eyes are exposed to light in the morning, they send signals to our brains to turn on the neurochemicals (natural chemicals produced by the brain) that help wake us up, and to turn off sleeping ones.

Then at night, as the sun goes down and we turn lights off, the opposite happens.

Melatonin is one of the most famous of these neurochemicals.

In an optimally-functioning brain, melatonin levels stay low during the day, then rise at night to help us sleep. But because darkness is the key to melatonin production, our melatonin levels are greatly affected by the use of artificial lights at night; the brighter it is, the less melatonin we produce.

If having the lights on at night is necessary, then wear special glasses to filter out blue light (the wavelength of light that is known to significantly suppress melatonin production).

These glasses block the wavelength of light that sends signals to our brain that it’s daytime. By wearing these glasses at night, artificial light and electronic screen light won’t have the same stimulating effect.


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