The Quick and Simple Guide to Fixing Your Light Environment

What you need to know and how to do it

The Short Version

1. I recommend low-blue light bulbs from EMR-Tek for your home use, after dark.

2. Incandescent bulbs are discussed below, but I hear our government is banning them soon.

3. You need to have low-blue light bulbs in your home after dark, or you will chronically disrupt your circadian rhythms.

The Long Version

In my last post, we talked about how to use and what you need to know about blue blockers. Today, we are going to talk about how to fix your light environment.

When I say, "light environment," what I mean is all of the visible light that you are exposed to - light bulbs, flashlights, televisions, computer monitors, laptops, smart phones, and tablets. These are our major sources of exposure.

How do you fix your light environment? Let's deal with each major source of light in turn.

First, televisions. To my knowledge, there is nothing you can do about the blue light they emit. Either way, I can't imagine watching movies in red and orange hues only. It would ruin the cinematography. So I don't even try to fix televisions. I wear blue blockers instead. You can read my thoughts on blue blockers in my last post.

Second, tablets, cell phones, and computers can all have options to limit the blue light emissions from their screens. Some of them now have native options for this (that means you don't have to download programs, they come pre-loaded). An example would be the Windows "Night Shift." On my Galaxy S10, there is also an "eye comfort" shield. For computers, you can download an app that I like called Iris. There are free options as well, such as f.lux.

I told you in my last post that not all blue light is bad. The biggest problem with screens is the blue light they emit at night. After dark, I am careful to lower the blue light emissions from any screen to as near zero as possible. Whatever app you use to accomplish this, the same rule applies that I shared in my last post. If your dark blue blockers change the color of the screen, then that screen is emitting blue light. I still use dark blue blockers for my computer and cell phone when I use them after dark.

Third, light bulbs are one of our top sources of blue light exposure. I use incandescent bulbs. Why? Because incandescent bulbs emit infrared light. I believe that the omission of infrared light from indoor lighting is driving the epidemics of skin and eye diseases that we see in our modern world. Incandescent bulbs still emit (and will always emit) infrared light that heals the skin and the eye.

Light bulbs can emit more or less blue light. This is a property described by the light's, "color temperature." A warm light bulb is one that emits very little, if any, blue light. They are "warm" because the remind us of fire or candle light, which give off an abundance of heat. A "cold" or "bright" light bulb has a high color temperature. It reminds us of the sun at noon and it emits an abundance of blue light. Most compact fluorescent and light-emitting-diode lights fit this description. The problem with blue light in these bulbs is that it suppresses our melatonin production and ruins our circadian rhythms. The solution is low-blue light bulbs. I use low-blue light bulbs from companies like Bon Charge (formerly BluBlox) and otherwise I use incandescent bulbs with a color temperature around 2000 Kelvin. Kelvin is the "color" temperature of a bulb. Blue light creates a higher color "temperature." Less blue light yields a lower color temperature. I recommend replacing all of your lights with low-blue light bulbs, whether that means low-Kelvin incandescents (here are my favorites) or low-blue light bulbs from Bon Charge (formerly BluBlox).

Fourth, flashlights. You probably don't use flashlights on a daily basis, but they come in handy when traveling and you can't control your lightbulbs. Almost all camping headlamps now have a "red light" feature that is included to preserve your night vision. Red light doesn't destroy your night vision thanks to its low energy. I use a combination of blue blockers and red light from a headlamp when I am traveling. This protects my sleep and melatonin production. Just waking up and turning on cold lights loaded with blue light in your bathroom can have a meaningful impact on your sleep.

Last, but not least, try to mimic the natural day-night cycle as much as possible. Use as much natural light during the day as possible. Spend your time in rooms that get sun when they get sun - east-facing rooms in the morning and west-facing rooms in the afternoon. If you live in the northern hemisphere, use south-facing rooms. If you live in the southern hemisphere, use north-facing rooms. After dark, I use black out curtains and blinds to reduce ambient light in my bedroom. This prevents light from neighbors or the moon from keeping me awake.

And that, in only a few hundred words, is how to fix your light environment. Next up, we will be discussing how to get enough red and infrared light, which you probably are NOT getting enough of.

Until then, be well.

Dr. Stillman

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