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Soyelcaminodelfuturo's avatar

I ‘suffer’ from insomnia. There’s a reason the word “suffer” is in quotes; it doesn’t feel like a burden to me. It is rather thinking time. That’s not to say that I don’t think sleep is critical for wellbeing. And so it was that I went to my doctor (years ago when I still had naive faith in their ability to do more than cross reference symptom -> treatment protocol).

I am convinced that the advent of LED lighting, smartphones, tablets and large, widescreen TVs, all encroaching into all of our lives and into the time shortly before normal sleep hours has an effect on sleep.

Serotonin is secreted by the pineal gland that is itself controlled according to the circadian rhythm, the sleep/wake cycle. I am playing somewhat fast and loose here with the medical definition because I am not a medical expert. In anything.

Seems that neither was my doctor.

All animals (et al) sleep and the normal pattern is to do so at night. The trigger is lack of sunlight. Humans have uniquely circumvented this natural trigger by creating artificial light beyond sunset. But happily the effect of extending waking time into late evening beyond sunset is not something that has necessarily brought with it any serious health issues. Early illumination was by fire, subsequently oil lamps, candles and gas lights etc. Later incandescent bulbs became a thing with the advent of electricity. All these light sources had a spectrum in common, wavelengths largely outside of the blue light frequencies. And this is where the issue with the eye -> brain -> pineal gland -> serotonin secretion-> circadian rhythm issues arise.

LED, and other light sources, are a relatively recent development. They have a large component of light falling within the blue light wavelength of the spectrum.

My doctor was completely ignorant of the phenomenon. My optometrist on the other hand was extremely interested and made, at no cost to me, prescription glasses with an orange filter to eliminate the transmission of light in the troubling wavelength. None of this is unknown science, it’s been understood for a long time and is uncontested.

Whilst I like the thinking time at stupid o’clock that is not to say that I don’t believe that there are health implications. Sleep is far more important than many of us appreciate. It is key to cell regeneration and mental health, among many, many other positive physiological benefits.

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Rosalind McGill's avatar

My apartment complex forced this on everyone in 2017. They even changed the outlets in the bathroom so we could not put in our own bulbs. An Energy conservation grant. The parking lot lights made it very hard to sleep. I bought lamps so I didn’t have to use the “ new& improved “lighting.

It was a hud housing apartment. I’ve since moved out , thankfully.

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