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Dr. Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the entire myriad of sleep disorders.

Your daily habits and environment can significantly impact the quality of your sleep. Take the Sleep Quiz to help inform your sleep improvement journey.

A variety of issues can cause degrade your sleep quality. Answer three questions to understand if it’s a concern you should worry about.

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Many people work under artificial lights and constantly interact with the screens of electronic devices. Being aware of these common sources of artificial blue light can help you strategically time exposure and avoid circadian rhythm disruptions.

We get most of our exposure to blue light from the sun. Blue light stimulates parts of the brain that make us feel alert Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , elevating our body temperature and heart rate. During the day, blue light can improve performance and attention, tuning our circadian rhythms and setting us up for a better night’s sleep after the sun sets.

Shechter, A., Kim, E. W., St-Onge, M. P., & Westwood, A. J. (2018). Blocking nocturnal blue light for insomnia: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 96, 196–202.

Chronic misalignment of circadian rhythms can also lead to many negative health impacts Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , including metabolic disorders and mental health conditions such as depression. Being mindful of the sources of blue light and daily exposure levels can help reduce the risk of these negative health outcomes.

Wright, K. P., Jr, McHill, A. W., Birks, B. R., Griffin, B. R., Rusterholz, T., & Chinoy, E. D. (2013). Entrainment of the human circadian clock to the natural light-dark cycle. Current Biology, 23(16), 1554–1558.

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The screens of electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and televisions can emit blue light that disrupts our natural sleep cycles. Research shows that a majority of Americans use electronic devices within an hour of going to bed, which can lead to unsatisfactory sleep. Decreasing exposure to light in the evening, and blue light in particular, is an important way to help your body naturally prepare for sleep and get quality rest.

Jagannath, A., Taylor, L., Wakaf, Z., Vasudevan, S. R., & Foster, R. G. (2017). The genetics of circadian rhythms, sleep and health. Human molecular genetics, 26(R2), R128–R138.

Light is composed of electromagnetic radiation, which is an invisible form of energy. Our eyes interpret colors of light based on the amount of energy they contain. White light, including some light emitted by the sun, is the combination of all the colors of the visible light spectrum.

Strategically timed exposure to blue light can help treat several sleep disorders. Circadian rhythm disorders occur when a person’s circadian rhythms are not in alignment with their environment. Light therapy, and blue light in particular Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , can help realign the body’s circadian rhythms and improve sleep.

The content on this website is for informational purposes only. SleepFoundation.org does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment options.

Sollars, P. J., & Pickard, G. E. (2015). The Neurobiology of Circadian Rhythms. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 38(4), 645–665.

Specialty glasses may also be helpful in reducing exposure to blue light. While they may not work for everyone, blue light blocking or amber glasses can reduce the melatonin-suppressing effects of bright light Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source .

Blue light is a portion of the visible light spectrum that can influence alertness, hormone production, and sleep cycles. This wavelength of light is emitted by LED and fluorescent lights, as well as many electronic devices.

Gooley J. J. (2008). Treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders with light. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 37(8), 669–676.

Inversely, exposure to blue light in the hours leading up to bedtime can hinder sleep. Blue light suppresses the body’s release of melatonin Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , a hormone that makes us feel drowsy. While this promotes wakefulness during the day, it becomes unhelpful at night when we are trying to sleep. Being exposed to blue light in the evening can trick our brain into thinking it is still daytime, disrupting circadian rhythms and leaving us feeling alert instead of tired.

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It may not always be feasible to turn off sources of blue light after dark, but there are a variety of ways to reduce blue light exposure that may be interfering with your sleep.

With the advent of artificial light and electronics, people are being exposed to increased amounts of light before bedtime. While all types of visible light can affect circadian rhythms, blue light has the largest impact Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source .

Vandewalle, G., Maquet, P., & Dijk, D. J. (2009). Light as a modulator of cognitive brain function. Trends in cognitive sciences, 13(10), 429–438.

Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. (2007, December 18). The drive to sleep and our internal clock., Retrieved March 14, 2023, from

Sleep Foundation and SleepFoundation.org are not affiliated with the National Sleep Foundation, an independent nonprofit based in Washington, DC.

Lockley, S. W., Brainard, G. C., & Czeisler, C. A. (2003). High sensitivity of the human circadian melatonin rhythm to resetting by short wavelength light. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 88(9), 4502–4505.

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The most effective way to reduce exposure to blue light in the evening is to simply turn off the sources. This means dimming or reducing LED and fluorescent lighting in your home and turning off electronic devices after it gets dark outside.

Wahl, S., Engelhardt, M., Schaupp, P., Lappe, C., & Ivanov, I. V. (2019). The inner clock: Blue light sets the human rhythm. Journal of Biophotonics, 12(12), e201900102.

Circadian rhythms are finely tuned, 24-hour cycles that signal our bodies to carry out essential functions Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , including sleep. Light is the most important factor in aligning circadian rhythms Trusted Source Harvard University Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States, established in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. View Source and, for much of human history, these rhythms were closely aligned with sunrise and sunset Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source .