No, I’m not talking about the clear computer ones, popping up everywhere now. Unfortunately, despite fancy marketing promises, they don’t block enough blue light, so they do almost nothing for your sleep…

I’m referring to the ones that have amber tinted lenses. Designed to block out most of the harmful man-made light spectrum that comes from our smartphones, televisions, computers, lights and more.

Being exposed to blue light after sunset, through the most photoreceptive part of our bodies – our eyes – tricks the brain into thinking it’s still daylight, keeping you alert and awake. Which leads to suppressed melatonin secretion (sleepy hormone) and a disrupted circadian rhythm. Resulting in chronic sleep problems, poor mood and mental performance as well as contributes to serious health conditions.

In an ideal world, we would all rise with the sun and only have candlelight lit houses in the evening with no electronic devices. This is the way we have evolved from millions of years of evolution with our inbuilt circadian rhythm (body clock). Unfortunately we have lost sight of that in this technologically advanced age.

Let me tell you a story. Some years ago, maybe like you, I didn’t think my sleep was that bad; I woke up to an alarm most days and would stumble my way to make a coffee half asleep. This was my baseline and felt normal at the time.

So naturally, I wasn’t sure if these funny glasses would do anything for me and bought a cheap pair… Did I look like a safety officer, about to inspect the electrical wiring in my home? Of course! Did I notice significant improvements in my sleep quality within the first 14 days? Abso-freakin-lutely!

These days, I rise without an alarm, in-sync with the sun and almost every night have a high quality sleep that I track objectively and subjectively. I continue to tweak my sleep habits, to function best for the day and avoid illness – especially with what our immune systems need to deal with lately!

In summary there are many variables when it comes to improving sleep. Psychological, environmental, habits, nutrition, supplementation. A great place to start though, being one of the easiest and most effective is LIGHT.

• In the early morning get morning sunlight into your eyes outside. This naturally triggers the suppression of melatonin, while increasing our production of serotonin and cortisol. Works better than a coffee!
• Protecting your eyes from sunset to sleep by wearing blue blocking glasses, of course.
• Avoid eating or exercising 2-3 hours before bed, as this keeps your digestion and heart rate up.

These alone will have a significant impact on your sleep and thus your whole life!