Blue Light Can Lead to the Blues (2024)

Too much screen time could be taking a toll on your mental health.

That’s because your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and TV all give off blue light. So do fluorescent and LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs.

While evidence is growing that shows blue light can be helpful during the day, nighttime exposure has been linked to health issues like sleeplessness and mood disorders. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is Blue Light?

It’s one of several colors in the visible light spectrum. The others are:

  • Red
  • Orange
  • Yellow
  • Green
  • Blue
  • Indigo
  • Violet

You may know them by the acronym ROY G BIV. Together, they make the white light you see when the sun -- the main source of blue light -- is shining.

How Blue Light May Affect Your Mental Health

Scientists think nighttime exposure to blue light throws off your circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycle. This could lead to symptoms of depression. That’s because your circadian rhythm plays a role in several brain and behavioral processes, like neurotransmission and hormone secretion.

The risks are higher if you spend time on digital devices or get exposed to other sources of blue light after the sun goes down. An animal study found mice exposed to dim light in the evening for 4 weeks showed higher rates of depressive symptoms than mice exposed to the normal light-dark cycle.

Blue light also slows or stops your body’s release of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. In one study, participants using an e-reader at bedtime took longer to fall asleep and reported feeling groggy the next morning. Another study showed just 2 hours of blue light exposure in the evening can impact the release of melatonin. Trouble sleeping is one of the most common symptoms of mood disorders like depression and anxiety. Your risk for a mood disorder is higher anytime you’re not getting enough sleep.

Blue Light Can Lead to the Blues (2024)

FAQs

What can blue light lead to? ›

Constant exposure to blue light over time could damage retinal cells and cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration. It can also contribute to cataracts, eye cancer and growths on the clear covering over the white part of the eye.

How does blue light effect mood? ›

Blue light exposure is an important issue to consider when it comes to our mental health. Too much screen time can negatively impact our emotional well-being, leading to depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. Fortunately, we can reduce blue light exposure and maintain our mental health in several ways.

What does blue light do to your brain? ›

Light from electronic screens comes in all colors, but the blues are the worst. Blue light fools the brain into thinking it's daytime. When that happens, the body stops releasing a sleep hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is nature's way of helping us wind down and prepare for bed.

How bad is blue light for sleep? ›

More so than any other color, blue light messes with your body's ability to prepare for sleep because it blocks a hormone called melatonin that makes you sleepy. Bottom line: You're less drowsy than usual at night, and it takes you longer to fall asleep.

Are blue lights true to life? ›

The characters are for the most part convincing,and the criminality portrayed in some of the dodgier areas of Belfast does actually occur and I commend the producers of Blue Lights for portraying these activities fairly accurately.

What does the blue light mean? ›

Many view a blue light as a sign of peace. It would make sense then in honor of both active and fallen law enforcement to encourage others with this kind of light. Another possible reason for this is that it is the color of many police officer's uniforms and the flashing blue and red lights on top of police cars.

Does blue light calm you? ›

We conclude that the blue lighting accelerates the relaxation process after stress in comparison with conventional white lighting. The relaxation time decreased by approximately three-fold (1.1 vs.

Does light blue make you happy? ›

Blue: calmness, serenity, peace

It's also associated with wisdom, creativity, and spirituality. Light blues are serene and can help with insomnia, while too much exposure to dark shades can trigger feelings of sadness, loneliness, or lethargy .

Can blue light cause anxiety? ›

This creates abnormally high exposure to harmful blue light wavelengths which are much higher than we would receive naturally outdoors from the sun. These high levels of blue light cause an increase in our stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline which leave us feeling highly stressed, irritable, and anxious.

Does blue light make you age faster? ›

Blue Light and Your Skin

Research shows blue light from electronic devices can lead to changes in your skin cells, including cell shrinkage and death. These speed up the aging process. Even exposures as short as 60 minutes can trigger these changes. Too much blue light could also lead to pigmentation.

How does blue light affect children? ›

Exposure to high levels of blue light could be causing changes in your child's brain. Children who spend more than two hours using screens — like smartphones, tablets, and gaming devices — have been shown to score lower on thinking and language tests (9).

Is blue light a real thing? ›

Wavelength of blue light

Blue light has very short, high energy waves. In fact, they're only slightly longer and less powerful than UV waves, which are too short for people to see with the naked eye. Health experts have warned against the harmful effects of UV rays, which can damage your skin and your eyes.

Does blue light affect skin? ›

It's certain that blue light in the 380–400 nm range is problematic, although the risk seems to lessen somewhat toward the top end, at 500 nm. Long-term exposure to concentrated sources of blue light energy can cause skin damage, including uneven tone, inflammation and weakening of the skin's surface (4).

Is blue light from phones harmful? ›

When you stare at a screen for hours at a time, whether it is a computer, TV, phone or tablet, you are exposed to blue light from the device. Alarmist headlines claim blue light from too much screen time is blinding us. But there is no scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices causes damage to your eye.

How does blue LED light affect you? ›

Blue light from electronics is linked to problems like blurry vision, eyestrain, dry eye, macular degeneration, and cataracts. Some people have sleep issues. Here's what you need to know.

What does blue light do to your face? ›

Blue Light and Your Skin

Research shows blue light from electronic devices can lead to changes in your skin cells, including cell shrinkage and death. These speed up the aging process. Even exposures as short as 60 minutes can trigger these changes. Too much blue light could also lead to pigmentation.

Is blue visible light harmful to humans? ›

However, inappropriate lighting exposure (especially from artificial sources of blue light in the evening or at night) may lead to harmful effects on health [2]. Due to its high energy, blue light can cause and accelerate photochemical reactions and retinal cell damage [3].

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Manual Maggio

Last Updated:

Views: 5801

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (69 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Manual Maggio

Birthday: 1998-01-20

Address: 359 Kelvin Stream, Lake Eldonview, MT 33517-1242

Phone: +577037762465

Job: Product Hospitality Supervisor

Hobby: Gardening, Web surfing, Video gaming, Amateur radio, Flag Football, Reading, Table tennis

Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.