Blue Light Can Lead to the Blues (2024)

FAQs

Blue Light Can Lead to the Blues? ›

Scientists think nighttime exposure to blue light throws off your circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycle. This could lead to symptoms of depression.

Blue light exposure is an important issue to consider when it comes to our mental health. Too much screen time can negatively impact our emotional well-being, leading to depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. Fortunately, we can reduce blue light exposure and maintain our mental health in several ways.

Are there health benefits of blue light? Blue light boosts alertness, helps memory and brain function, and elevates mood. It regulates your body's natural wake and sleep cycle (circadian rhythm). Sunlight is also important for the growth and development of eyes and vision in children.

Light from electronic screens comes in all colors, but the blues are the worst. Blue light fools the brain into thinking it's daytime. When that happens, the body stops releasing a sleep hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is nature's way of helping us wind down and prepare for bed.

Being exposed to this flickering light creates high levels of stress to the brain as it needs to work extremely hard to process the rapidly changing light signals. This then leads to high levels of adrenaline and cortisol, which in-turn leaves people feeling irritable and anxious.

Blue light at night produces stress-evoked heightened aggression by enhancing brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the basolateral amygdala - PMC.

blue lighting accelerates the relaxation process after stress in comparison with conventional white lighting. The relaxation time decreased by approximately three-fold (1.1 vs. 3.5 minutes). We also observed a convergence time (3.5–5 minutes) after which the advantage of blue lighting disappeared.

That's because your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and TV all give off blue light. So do fluorescent and LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs. While evidence is growing that shows blue light can be helpful during the day, nighttime exposure has been linked to health issues like sleeplessness and mood disorders.

Among the visible light spectrum, blue wavelengths have the most powerful effect on your sleep-wake internal body clock. Both natural and artificial blue light can boost your alertness and mental sharpness. But too much of it may keep you awake when your body needs to wind down. Block out light to get good sleep.

Blue light therapy may help some people with depression regulate certain symptoms. This therapy seems most effective in people with seasonal depressive disorder. However, other forms of depression may also benefit from it. Research has been generally positive.

Can blue light make you feel sick? ›

Researchers have suggested that there is a specific neural pathway from the eyes to the brain—separate from how vision is transmitted—that ultimately causes blue light wavelengths to worsen headache pain and other symptoms.

Blue Light Induces Mitochondrial DNA Damage and Free Radical Production in Epithelial Cells* Exposure of biological chromophores to ultraviolet radiation can lead to photochemical damage.

Blue Light and Your Skin

Research shows blue light from electronic devices can lead to changes in your skin cells, including cell shrinkage and death. These speed up the aging process. Even exposures as short as 60 minutes can trigger these changes.

Blue Light Dilemma and ADHD

Blue light exposure from screens can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone responsible for regulating sleep cycles. As sleep disturbances are commonly observed in individuals with ADHD, managing blue light exposure becomes even more pertinent in relation to the condition.

One minute of blue light stimulation significantly increased dopamine concentration in the vitreous body of the treated eyes compared to the contralateral ones (P = 0.015). Stimulation for 10 min significantly increased dopamine concentration in the vitreous body, as well as the aqueous humor (P < 0.05).

Exposure of light suppresses production of melatonin. Blue light wakes you up and stimulates you, during the day. It also starts the production of cortisol (stress hormone) and ghrelin (nicknamed the “hunger” hormone). Unbalanced hormone levels can contribute to fatigue.

Life With Light Sensitivity Anxiety

Lighting conditions that other people consider normal and healthy are a terrible experience for you. The real-world effects of light sensitivity might be described by some as dreamlike, a feeling of panic, uneasiness, disconnected, or simply excruciating.

Blue is renowned for its calming properties. It's often used to reduce stress and anxiety, create a sense of tranquility, and aid in sleep. Blue light therapy is often used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and lighter shades of blue can be beneficial in bedrooms.

In fact, people with migraine who have light sensitivity between attacks (known as 'interictal' photophobia) are more likely to develop feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.

It is not yet known what causes panic attacks but certain factors may play an important role, including genetics, mental health conditions, major stress or having a predisposition to stress. Whilst there is usually a cause, panic attacks can often appear to be triggered by nothing at all.