So I Decided To Experiment On Myself...(or If You Have Trouble Sleeping Read This)

[Sludge]

As you folks know I am in process of finishing up another degree in the sciences, this time biochemistry.

Invariable, one reaches a point as a professional science geek that one feels the need to experiment on oneself. It is completely unscientific to do so and in many cases outright dangerous, but in this case unlike most episodes of Mythbusters- you CAN try this at home!

You may or may not know there is a wealth of valid data on the effects of short wave length visible light (read that as blue) on human sleep and the circadian clock. They are still working on the exact why and how, but they know for certain there is a link.

In short ambient blue light makes it hard to sleep. I know it sounds a bit wacky, but even in complete darkness there are enough short wavelength photons bouncing around, say off blue bed sheets or an led in the wall wart for your cell phone to mess with sleep.

Here is one of the main journal articles on the subject. It is some heavy reading, but it is no longer behind a pay wall:

Link Removed


Anyway, a certain popular blog called Boing-Boing coincedently popped an article that is a poorly informed version bordering on myth based on the valid research I linked previously.

I coincidentally have been experimenting on myself over the last month with the blue light bit. Boing-Boing wants you to wear orange lens shooter glasses while you sleep. This is as uncomfortable as it sounds. Yeah, it will work in theory, but I bet it is probably not the wisest choice of sleeping gear for we the weapon experts with a bit of the beast. For this method to really work, one needs to wear the orange shooting glasses for two to three hours BEFORE bed and get all the blue light out of the sleeping room...

In my personal experiment, I just eliminated all sources of blue light from the room, and blocked out the windows...


Sources of blue light you have but don't realize they are actually blue because your eyes and brain are easily tricked:
Daylight (thank the effect of atmospheric gasses on this one)
CFL light bulbs
Flatscreen TVs and Monitors(even when the screen is black or white!)
Any LED that isn't red, yellow or orange (reality is with LEDs all but the ones listed are blue, your brain just doesn't let you know it!)
Any non-red/orange backlit alarm clocks


Obvious Blue light sources you know about but wouldn't think actually count:
Blue power on indicators on electronics and and other devices- yeah even the itty bitty ones, a little short wavelength goes a long way, literally
blue blankets and sheets
Blue, many grey and most white wall paints (another example of your eyes and brain lying to you)





After reviewing my sleep log so far, the trend is now starting to form up. Blue light sources in the room- Sludge has insomnia. Blue light sources removed- Sludge sleeps like a corpse but snores like a rabid moose in heat.


Also, my wife likes the new deep forest green paint in the master bedroom!


I need many more months of data collection, but it appears the trend is true so far.

I was going to wait a while before sharing this with you folks, but in light of the Boing-Boing bullshit article, I figured now was as good a time as any.

Having trouble sleeping? Get rid of the blue!

 

[Need an Oasis]

Sludge, my psychiatrist told me the same thing about blue light about a year ago.He said that since I usually am on my laptop until just before I go to bed, the blue light emitted by the screen makes it harder for me to then fall asleep after shutting the laptop off.

He told me to get this free software thingy called FLux, which you install on your computer/laptop, and you can set the sunrise and sunset times on it for where you are in the world. When sunset comes, your screen changes color to a light, rose-tinted glow, it's very pleasant to look at and it's not that obvious. It doesn't change the actual color of pictures on the screen, just gives everything a rosy glow. I don't know how to explain it. It just changes the blue light emitted from the screen to rose. I find it soothing.

Personally I don't think it helps me sleep better, but I noticed that it definitely takes the eye strain away. It's much easier to look at the screen when it's dark outside/dim inside.

Google FLux and it should come up. It's freeware. I've been using it for a year now.

 

[Sludge]

I had actually heard/read about the whole blue light bit quite a while back too. I never gave it much thought until a month or so back when I realized that exercise, diet and a routine just was not enough to help with my somewhat notorious inability to sleep. After having it suggested to me on here, I (begrudgingly) tried out some OTC melatonin. It made me sleepy, but didn't help me sleep, sadly.

AFter doing a bit more research on the subject, I have entered into the orange lens phase two hours before sleep-time. I'll post my personal results later.

Truthfully, from a scientific standpoint, all of the journal and peer reviewed articles on the subject are a bit hokey due to the small sample size and lack of proper controls, but at this stage of the game I'll try anything, especially as I am inundated with blue light pretty much all day every day.

 

[Ned]

Well, on the older 'Bruin' vehicles in BAOR, all the tactical lights were red.
Then when Ptarmigan came in (80s) the low-lights were a grey/blue clour.
The new colour made everything look closer to how it did in daylight, or dusk.
But the old red low-lights gave you better night-vision when you went outside, and it was generally agreed that it was harder to cat-nap or nod off on night shift with the new blue lights.
So that sounds about right.
Yes it is nearly five in the morning here, obviously didn't do my blue-light hygeine last night....:(

 

[Anglesachse]

........................... at this stage of the game I'll try anything, ....................

Thats when I actualy found the stuff that actualy works.

 

[tnkg1rl]

This is awesome information, getting the husband to take the tv out of the room probably isnt going to happen but hes up to changing some other stuff. Thanks for the tips we are trying this out!

 

[Jimmy1]

My therapist who taught on the PTSD course said that bedrooms should only be used for sleeping and sex, well, with the way PTSD affects me, its only sleeping.

 

[Ned]

Copied.

 

[tnkg1rl]

I hear that all he wants to do is watch wrestling, cops and dumb shit anyway thinking about sleeping in the girls room anyway

 

[JackAndy]

I'll go out to the dollar store and get some black curtains. Right now I have see-through lace curtains over this little frosted glass window. It doesn't let in much light, but there's a flourescent light out there so I'm sure it's blue light.

BTW even if you aren't having trouble, you should download this software called f.lux. Just search it, I can't post a link.

It changes your screen colors to be more amber at night, automatically at sunset. It even works on smart phones. You get used to it pretty quick and it does work.

 

[Sludge]

UPDATE: Been wearing the shooter glasses two hours before sleep time for over a month now. Found that those alone do the trick. No need to strip any possible blue source out of your bedroom. I am on the computer a lot in the evenings, and these silly looking glasses have completely changed my sleeping habits.


Still this is crazy stuff, but it works for me. Worth a go if you have trouble falling a sleep. Sadly they don't help you stay asleep, but I have found that my instances of night terrors have dropped significantly.

Blue light BAD fer Sludge. Yellow Shooting Glasses GOOOOOOD.

 

[Sarg]

Damn, no wonder I'm such a Ray Ban Ambermatic nut. They would tint to dark brown in the sun and lighten to amber inside. Man, if I can walk away with 20/20 in both eyes, I'm off to Ebay! Expensive as hell, but love em.

Thanks for the info, Sludge!

Sarg