Eye Matters
December 10, 2013
How orange/amber tinted glasses ensure a better night’s sleep

You may not believe it, but studies have shown that wearing warm tinted glasses when you go to bed will actually help you fall asleep quicker.

This season makes it harder for people to stay on their regular sleep schedule. After all, the sun rises later and it sets earlier.{{more}} When it is dark outside in the morning, it can be hard for people to get motivated out of their beds and begin their day. With the sun rising earlier around the country, the brain has no clear signal for when it is time to go to bed.

Now, combine the above issue with the use of fluorescent lights in homes and in businesses during these dark hours, and there is really no surprise why people are having a hard time getting up and going to sleep. Researchers have learned that continuous contact to fluorescent light, as well as the blue light of television and computer screens has a significant negative impact on the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that affects your body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Researchers have learned that wearing orange or amber tinted glasses one hour before going to bed can help people fall asleep quicker, earlier and more regularly every night.

Orange Light and Its Effect On The Production Of Melatonin

Now, you might be wondering how orange glasses will help you fall asleep faster. However, before you can understand that, you need to know why an excessive amount of melatonin can negatively impact the body’s ability to induce sleep.

Melatonin, a hormone in the brain, lets your body know when you should go to bed. For example, when the light outside disappears, melatonin will tell your body that it is time to wind down and, when the sun is up, the amount of melatonin secreted drops and the body starts to wake up.

Blue light that comes from TVs, cell phones, laptops, tablets and more can reduce the amount of melatonin that is produced by the brain, making it hard for people to go to sleep when it is time.

This research has discovered that wearing glasses with an orange or amber tint for several hours before you go to bed can block the blue light emitted by the devices and assist your sleep pattern.

Colour Tint Your Electronic Devices

You don’t have to just wear orange tinted glasses to block blue light. With the help of new software programmes, you can tint the screen of your device. Depending on what time of day it is, the program can adjust the device’s screen colour.

Warm colours are used at night, allowing you to fall asleep easily. During the daytime, you’ll be treated to bright colours. Regardless of what time of day or night, the programme will appear to match the room you’re in.

How do you feel about electronics affecting the way you sleep? Is it harder for you to go to sleep after you’ve watched TV or used the computer for a long time? Well, you may be a victim of blue light. However, with the use of orange/amber tinted glasses, you don’t have to suffer from sleep deprivation any longer.

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Dr Kenneth Onu is a resident Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Beachmont Eye Institute/Eyes R Us Send questions to: Beachmont@gmail.com

Tel: 784 456-1210