How To Biohack Blue Light (Improve Sleep And Cognitive Performance)
All this week on mybiohack we’re making sense of blue light. First, I explained the visible light spectrum and the differences between how blue light occurs naturally and from our devices. Then, I shared five pros and five cons of blue light. Today, I share how to truly biohack blue light by avoiding its drawbacks and biohacking its benefits.
Protecting Against Blue Light
While it is impossible to avoid blue light, here are some precautions you can take to avoid some of the negative effects of blue light.
Here are some practical steps to begin incorporating into your daily life:
- When you’re inside, wear long sleeved clothing or get full spectrum lights, infrared lights and violet lights
- Install apps such as f.lux or Iris on your computer and twilight on your phone to block out blue light. Many phones and computers have a night-mode pre-installed as well, but it's not strong enough
- Wear blue light blocking glasses when inside and red glasses 1-2 hours before bed to both protect your eyes and to help regulate your circadian rhythm
- Sleep with a sleep mask, remove lights in the bedroom and install blackout blinds
And my top supplements to add to your diet:
- Chlorophyll R
- Curcumin R
- Lutein R
- Melatonin (I use this only if I can't block out blue/green light that night)
- Zinc
Using Blue Light to Your Advantage
- You can use a bright light device (or sun) to increase your alertness and mood, however, when doing this it's a good idea to cover your face, so I'll use a welding helmet.
- Coffee works well blue light (15 min in the morning) to further boost your mood and reset your circadian rhythm (in the morning)
- Reduce acne and bacteria from your face by using this blue light/infrared device on your skin for around 15 minutes/day
- Workout outside in the sun while wearing blue glasses will decrease your perceived muscle output and help you work out longer/stronger
Again, I can’t stress enough that you should take necessary precautions against blue light and avoid overexposure. However, with some smart biohacking knowledge, you should be good to go! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me for consultation or join the discussion in the MyBiohack community Facebook Page.
