Do LED Lights Keep You Awake At Night?

Many people already find it difficult to sleep & now there is an idea that LED lights keep us awake at night. Do LED lights really affect sleep?

The idea that you can save not only electricity but also sleep with LED lights is promising. Scientists have investigated whether modern LED’s, the abbreviation of which means nothing else than light-emitting diodes, actually have an effect on tiredness and concentration, and have come to a clear conclusion.

It’s true that computer monitors with LED lights leave a measurable impact on the sleep cycle of people. After five hours of work in front of LED screens, people not only feel more alert and fitter but also perform cognitively better than other people.

Do LED Lights Affect Sleep? – Effect Of Blue Light On Sleep

The scientist also provides the cause for these demonstrable positive effects. The light from LED lights is very biologically active. This is due to the specific wavelength of the LED light in the range between 450 and 460 nanometers. This light, which is in the blue range, is very similar to daylight. For this reason, the release of melatonin, a hormone that controls the day-night rhythm in the body, is reduced. LED lights in monitors give the body the feeling that it is the day.

In the course of evolution, we are equipped in such a way that we have adapted perfectly to the 24-hour day. The eyes and the light in the blue wave range are largely responsible for this. In addition to the suppositories and rods that are responsible for the visual impressions, we also have so-called melanopsin receptors in our eyes. These are cells that are equipped with the light-sensitive pigment melanopsin. As soon as the light in the blue wave range hits these receptors, signals are sent directly to the brain, which in turn triggers the release of hormones that suppress the activation of melatonin. This keeps you awake.

Red And Blue Light Components

It is known that the light of the sun is significantly involved in the wake-sleep rhythm of humans. The light of the sun has different wavelengths throughout the day. During the day the proportion of blue light is particularly high, at sunset, however, the proportion of blue light decreases again and the proportion of red light increases. This becomes visible through the red of the sun as it sets on the horizon.

Especially very bright, artificial light can disrupt the normal sleep-wake cycle in humans. If you want to wake up in the morning, you should surround yourself with plenty of light, regardless of the source. Similarly, you should keep the light subdued in the evening, to optimally prepare your body for sleep.

The Dark Side Of The Light

As more and more modern monitors are equipped with LED lighting, the biological effect of the diodes can also lead to serious problems. It is now conceivable that TV sets with LED lighting or general LED lights, make it difficult to fall asleep and can even lead to long-term to chronic sleep disorders. For this reason, people who already suffer from sleep disorders should avoid LED televisions and LED monitors, especially in the evening.

But not only LED lights affect our sleep-wake rhythm. Conventional lights and energy-saving lamps can also have an influence on the relevant hormones. In order to influence the effects, you can buy energy-saving lamps in various light qualities in stores, for example. The cold white energy-saving lamps have a high proportion of blue light and, like the LED, have the same effect on the retention of melatonin.

The warm white energy-saving lamps, on the other hand, have a much less strong effect on hormone release and should therefore be used primarily in the evening. Not all LED lighting shines with the wavelength of blue light. There are also LEDs in red, green, and yellow and in the infrared range.

Also Read: Can The Full Moon Disturb Our Sleep?

In order to make optimal use of the effects of the various wavelengths on the body, researchers are already on the trail of the lamp of the future. This should be able to automatically adapt to the wavelength of daylight.