With more people spending more time indoors, working and studying from home, and in front of laptops, smartphones and the like, screentime is on the rise.
This brings with it greater exposure to sleep hormone-suppressing blue light, as consumers look for ways to get better nighttime rest. SleepScore Lab, a sleep science company providing sleep solutions, released a study looking into EyeJust Blue Light Blocking Screen Protectors and its ability to improve sleep.
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The study looked at 850 nights-worth of data by 24 participants who are regularly exposed to blue light from screens after sunset and who experienced eye strain. The individuals evaluated their sleep quality and eye strain after three weeks each with and without EyeJust.
71 per cent of participants shared that the tool helped them sleep better, while 92 per cent reported that it helped reduce eye strain. Participants also reported feeling more rested, feeling sleepier at bedtime, sense that they fell asleep faster, and woke up less often and spent less time awake during the night.
See also: A good night’s sleep may be good for the heart.
While larger-scale independent studies are needed into devices that help offset the negative effects of blue light, existing research underscores that smartphone use before bed is connected to poorer sleep. In fact, a 2016 peer-reviewed study published in the journal PLOS ONE found that smartphone screen use, particularly around bedtime, negatively impacted sleep. Furthermore, the sleep time directly correlated to the amount of time users spent on their smartphones; the longer participants spent in front of their screens, the less sleep they got.
The study authors wrote that exposure to blue light from screens may suppress the brain’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
See also: How to naturally boost your happy chemicals.
