Remember that Corey Hart song, “Sunglasses at Night”? If you were into pop music in the 80’s you would. I don’t know what happened to that guy but he kind of had the right idea. You see, it’s a really good idea to wear “sun” glasses at night, just not sunglasses. Rather, orange lensed glasses to help with blocking the blues.
Blue light is like an alien sun. It takes away our power. Specifically, it depletes dopamine and melatonin. It increases cortisol and it does all this at the wrong time of day.
It’s a major culprit for throwing off our circadian alignment. When this happens regularly it leads to a cascading effect of hormone imbalances, dysfunction, dis-ease, ages us quicker and can result in a shortened lifespan.
That’s a BIG no bueno!
Blue light is everywhere.
It’s even in sunlight but the sun contains a full spectrum of light which balances out the blue. The sun also shines during the day when light exposure on our skin and eyes benefits us with vitamin D, circadian entrainment, and other disease-preventing benefits.
In fact, hopefully, Corey Hart, and you aren’t wearing your sunglasses very much during the day at all.
Yes, you heard that right.
Sunlight in your eyes, your retina specifically, is absorbed by melanopsin receptors and signals the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus region of the brain.
What does all that mumbo-jumbo mean? It means “unprotected” (or more like unfettered) sunlight exposure keeps us in sync with nature’s rhythms which is how we stay healthy and thrive!
The guys who just won the 2017 Nobel Prize in medicine received it for their work linking circadian alignment and circadian biology with health and a lack of it with disease.
The other side of the coin is where blocking the blues is key.
Blocking the Blues
This is literally referring to keeping the blues away – both light and mood. With virtually all our devices, TVs, displays, and overhead lighting these days shining blue light in our eyes toward the central body clock (the SCN), we are wiping out our feel-good chemical messenger, dopamine.
At the same time, we are depleting melatonin which is responsible for good restorative sleep and has anti-inflammatory properties as well as anti-aging and disease prevention benefits.
Moral of the story…
Blocking the blues after dark is key to you being your best!
There’s a bunch of ways to mind your light and engage your environment for better health some of which we discuss here, here, here and here.
For now, Just watch our brand new, first ever video up on the EcoHuman Health YouTube Channel and while you are there please subscribe so you can get notifications to our latest and greatest tips for Engaging Your Environment and reaching your full potential!
Without further ado… we present…
Blocking Your Blues: An Intro Into Blue Light Blocking Glasses
You can get the cheap pair Bree’s wearing above here. Mine here and the super protective ones that block blue and green and lull you into a sweet and restorative sleep here.
Here’s to blocking the blues and walking on sunshine! (Cue Corey Hart)
