Several friends report having insomnia, especially at this
time of year. It occurs to me the thing that’s robbing their sleep might be a
matter of light. If you live at the 40th parallel or higher, it’s a given that
you’re not getting enough sunlight during winter days. Cloudy, foggy or smoggy
days can make it even worse. A few hours of bright light during the day –
natural or artificial – can improve the length and quality of your sleep at
night. Another thing that can mess up your circadian rhythm is too much light
after sundown; especially the blue light from cell phone, tablet, TV and computer
screens. The simple answer is to shut down your electronics two hours before
bedtime to give your body a chance to produce melatonin. If you can’t imagine
doing that, consider downloading an app that blocks blue light or wearing
glasses that filter the blue light out.
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