Innovations That Help Us Sleep

Other environmental factors that can affect our sleep

Low blue lights

The brightness of the lights in your bedroom and your home can have an effect on your sleep quality, as was found in a study that showed that the evening light we are exposed to in an indoor environment affects our biological clock and can disrupt sleep quality. Researchers at the Surrey Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey found that the ordinary, artificial indoor-light we are exposed to in the evening suppresses the rise of melatonin, making us feel less sleepy, and thus more inclined to delay bedtime. This is because most lights contain a high amount of blue light; however the researchers found that when they altered the colour of light, reducing blue light and increasing the red and yellow, the disruptive effects of the light were minimised. (Luc Schlangen, Nayantara Santhi, Derk-Jan Dijk, Journal of Pineal Research Nov. 2011).

Their research follows the discovery of a blue-sensitive photoreceptor which specifically targets the body’s circadian rhythm.

It is now possible to buy low-blue light bulbs for the home, and glasses that can reduce blue light exposure from computer screens, tablets and smart phones which all contain high amounts of blue light which can impair our production of melatonin and disturb sleep. The researchers in the above study also found that reducing overall light intensity was also able to minimise the disruptive effects. So if you don’t have them, try to fit dimmer switches to your lights and reduce light intensity in the hours before bedtime. You can also reduce light intensity by using low wattage bulbs, energy saver bulbs, and using lamps instead of ceiling lights.

Bedtime Routine

Bedtime routine is important and is frequently not taken seriously enough. Just as a child needs a routine to promote a good nights’ sleep, so do we. We might not require a bed time story, but we need to relax and unwind. That means reducing electronic and intellectual stimulation that keep the mind active and busy and just letting go. Don’t go to bed too early or too late. If you are unable to fall asleep and find yourself lying in bed for more than 30 minutes, get up and go to another room. Keep the lights as dim as possible and don’t do anything too stimulating. Try listening to soft music until you start to feel sleepy, then go back to bed. This will enforce the association between bed and sleep rather than bed and wakefulness.

Also try to maintain a regular sleep pattern so try to avoid long lie-ins on your day off or at the weekend. This will help to enforce a routine. Try to determine what your optimal amount of sleep is. You may function at your best with nine hours sleep or six hours sleep. You can then regulate your bedtime in order to try to get the right amount of sleep for you.

Avoid Alcohol

Often that means a glass or three of wine, or some other alcoholic drink, but this can be counter-productive and actually make your sleeping difficulties worse. By all means enjoy a responsible and jolly social life but never use alcohol as a sleep aid. You may drop off but within an hour or so you will be padding to the loo and most likely have a nasty headache. Remember alcohol tends to “knock you out” like some medicines, and you won’t get normal restorative sleep as a result.

Avoid late night use of technology

We mentioned the use of electronic equipment in the bedroom section, however there is increasing evidence that late-night use of mobile phones is more disruptive to sleep than watching television.

Neuroscientist Dr Paul Howard-Jones of Bristol University found that staring at a small bright screen, especially under the covers when the lights are off, can disrupt the secretion of melatonin, which of course regulates our sleep cycle. And this disruption was stronger than watching television late at night. This can particularly affect teenagers who spend a lot of time texting on their mobile phones.

Dr Howard-Jones also found that teenagers who text after lights out are four times more likely to experience daytime drowsiness, and has found studies that have linked playing video games, even early in the evening, with loss of sleep