Blocking nocturnal blue light for insomnia: A randomized controlled trial
Open accessAbstract
The use of light-emitting electronic devices before bedtime may contribute to or exacerbate sleep problems. Exposure to blue-wavelength light in particular from these devices may affect sleep by suppressing melatonin and causing neurophysiologic arousal. We aimed to determine if wearing amber-tinted blue light-blocking lenses before bedtime improves sleep in individuals with insomnia. Fourteen individuals (n = 8 females; age ± SD 46.6 ± 11.5 y) with insomnia symptoms wore blue light-blocking amber lenses or clear placebo lenses in lightweight wraparound frames for 2 h immediately preceding bedtime for 7 consecutive nights in a randomized crossover trial (4-wk washout). Ambulatory sleep measures included the Pittsburgh Insomnia Rating Scale (PIRS) completed at the end of each intervention period, and daily post-sleep questionnaire and wrist-actigraphy. PIRS total scores, and Quality of Life, Distress, and Sleep Parameter subscales, were improved in amber vs. clear lenses condition (p-values <0.05). Reported wake-time was significantly delayed, and mean subjective total sleep time (TST), overall quality, and soundness of sleep were significantly higher (p-values <0.05) in amber vs. clear lenses condition over the 7-d intervention period. Actigraphic measures of TST only were significantly higher in amber vs. clear lenses condition (p = 0.035). Wearing amber vs. clear lenses for 2-h preceding bedtime for 1 week improved sleep in individuals with insomnia symptoms. These findings have health relevance given the broad use of light-emitting devices before bedtime and prevalence of insomnia. Amber lenses represent a safe, affordable, and easily implemented therapeutic intervention for insomnia symptoms.Clinical trials registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02698800.
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Blue light blocking glasses and lenses may effectively block and reduce the blue portion of the light spectrum before bedtime.
“A simple solution that may effectively block and reduce the blue portion of the light spectrum before bedtime are blue light blocking glasses and lenses 116, 117.”
From The inner clock-Blue light sets the human rhythm (2019) · cites this paper as [117]
After seven nights of wearing blue blockers for two hours before bed, people with insomnia have significantly improved subjective and objective total sleep time, sleep quality, and soundness.
“After seven nights of wearing blue blockers for two hours before bed, people with insomnia have significantly improved subjective and objective total sleep time, sleep quality, and soundness [321].”
From Is Melatonin the “Next Vitamin D”?: A Review of Emerging Science, Clinical Uses, Safety, and Dietary Supplements (2022) · cites this paper as [321]
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The inner clock-Blue light sets the human rhythm
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- Authors
- Shechter, A., Kim, E. W., St-Onge, M.-P., & Westwood, A. J.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Shechter, Ari
- Venue
- Journal of Psychiatric Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-01
- Volume
- 96
- Pages
- 196-202
- ISSN
- 0022-3956 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5703049
- OpenAlex
- W2766989997
- Cited by
- 204
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 64 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 9
- FWCI
- 32.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Psychiatric Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Focused-Project Award (144-FP-16)
- American Sleep Medicine Foundation (UL1TR001873)
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Keywords
- insomnia, blue light, blue light blocking, light-emitting devices, melatonin suppression, sleep quality, total sleep time, bedtime, wrist actigraphy
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Lenses, Male, Middle Aged, Phototherapy, Surveys and Questionnaires, Severity of Illness Index, Sleep, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome, Cross-Over Studies, Young Adult, Actigraphy
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