Sleep can be considered one of the most important contributors to good health. Nowadays people are sleeping less than they did in the past. Sleep quality has also become poor. Poor sleep is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and obesity.

When it is dark, the pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin, which tells the body to get tired and go to sleep. The artificial lighting which we use at night can lead to sleep problems. The lights emit blue wavelength light which tricks our brain into thinking it is daytime. The computer monitors also emit large amounts of blue light and they may disrupt the internal clock if one is exposed to them in the evening. Blue light from the sun or from computer monitors can inhibit melatonin production and thus can reduce both the quality and quantity of sleep. Studies link melatonin suppression in the evening to various health problems, including metabolic syndrome, obesity, cancer, and depression.

In people who suffer from insomnia, in a study blue blocking lenses were noted to increase the quality of sleep, increase the depth of sleep, and overall led to improvement of the sleep cycle.

Blue-blocking lenses should be a part of our endeavor to get better sleep.

Dr. Ramesh Murthy is one of the best eye specialists in Pune and India and he is available at Axis Eye Clinic which is one of the best eye clinics in Pune.