Blue LEDs Could Be Costing You Sleep

Blue LEDs could be costing you sleep
by Doug Osborne posted on July 31, 2008 8:31 am

It’s not uncommon for many of us to have several electronic gadgets sitting on the nightstand right next to us while we sleep in bed. As it turns out though, those same brightly lit gizmos could be costing us a good night’s sleep, especially if those devices have blue LEDs in them. It seems a discovery made by scientists indicate that blue light on the eye does more to the body, than just looking blue.

The scientific discovery indicates that there is a sensitive layer on the eye unrelated to the part that is used for vision. This layer sends signals to the body which affects alertness, the daily cycle of consciousness and the need to sleep for everyone. It turns out that blue spectrum of light is the most sensitive on that area of the eye and can trick the mind into thinking it is time to be awake instead of sleeping.

This discovery could be beneficial in other areas as well. One research project at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia is looking to see if blue light can be used to help keep astronauts more attentive during missions. Another project going on at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center in New York is working with blue light to see if it can be used to aid crews on submarines in adjusting their watch schedules.

As for your gadgets that have blue LEDs in them? For more solid ZZZ’s each night, perhaps it is a good idea to put them in another part of the bedroom and not on the nightstand.
Read more at MSNBC.