How often do you consider your exposure to light?

If you're like most people, the answer is probably not often. However, with 90% of people using some form of electronic device one hour before bed, it's time to give it some more thought.

Light exposure isn't something that our ancestors had to worry about. Without exposure to artificial light, the setting of the sun would signal the production of melatonin - a key hormone in the regulation of sleep. However, in a world of well-lit streets, smartphones and computer screens, our exposure to blue light has gone through the roof... and not enough people are talking about it. It's time for that to change.

3 things that you should know  

1. Blue light is disruptive to your sleep - by inhibiting the production of melatonin, your circadian rhythm is likely to be thrown off. This could result in poor quality sleep that causes you to wake up feeling exhausted.

2. Oh and those blue light blocking apps? They're not all the cracked up to be. A study in 2018 found that Apple's night shift app is NOT EFFECTIVE in reversing melatonin inhibition associated with blue light.  

3. It's not just about sleep, but general health too. Studies have linked exposure to blue light with increased risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.  

So... what's the solution? 

Cutting screen time before bed might be optimal,  but for many of us it's simply not practical nor is it realistic. However, by introducing blue light blocking glasses into your wind-down routine, you can harness the many benefits of protecting your eyes from blue light. 

 However, if blue light blocking glasses are to be effective in blocking blue wavelengths to allow for melatonin production, they need to block virtually ALL blue light. While many blue light glasses out there block 50%, 60% or even 80% of all blue light, very few block blue light entirely. 

 We're proud to say that at David Snow Opticians, we can add blue light blocking lenses to any of our frames, so you don't have to have to feel limited in your choice of glasses. We can also make them up for you with your prescription, so if you wear glasses normally anyway that's no problem at all! 

But what's even better is that...

Our blue light lenses block 99-100% of all blue light, so unlike other options on the market, you can enjoy the benefits of a healthy circadian rhythm with minimal disruption to sleep. Browse our range of glasses here and add blue light lenses to any of our frames using the drop-down menu.