Remember Blue-Blockers?

By Dr. Mercola

You may remember the blue-blocking sunglasses that were popular in the U.S. in the 1980s. The glasses, with their amber-colored lenses, had a bit of a cult following and were perhaps best known for how clear they made regular objects appear.

They were promoted by Joel Sugarman who is actually a friend of mine and regular reader of this newsletter.

However, many are not aware that these glasses were originally designed for the NASA space program. Astronauts need powerful eye protection in outer space, where ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun are incredibly strong.

A sunglass manufacturer developed a special design that blocked not only the UV rays but also blue rays.¹ The glasses had the desirable “side effect” of making objects appear sharper, but the real benefits of blocking blue light are only beginning to be understood.

Ideally, to help your circadian system reset itself, get at least 10 to 15 minutes of light first thing in the morning. This will send a strong message to your internal clock that day has arrived, making it less likely to be confused by weaker light signals later on.

Then, around solar noon, get another “dose” of at least 30 minutes’ worth of sunlight. A full hour or more would be even better. If your schedule is such that you have to get up and arrive at work before sunrise, aim to get at least that half hour of bright sunlight sometime during the day.

A Fool-Proof Plan to Avoid Artificial Blue Light 

Your health depends on a regular light-dark cycle that, ideally, starts and stops at the same time each day. In addition to getting exposure to sunlight in the morning and at mid-day, you can protect the needs of your body’s internal clock by following this fool-proof plan.

Anytime that you are exposed to artificial lights (whether they’re LED, incandescent or compact fluorescent lamps [CFLs]) and turn off electronic devices to reduce your exposure to light that may stifle your melatonin production you will want to wear blue blocking glasses.

If using a computer or smartphone, install blue-light-blocking software like f.lux, which automatically alters the color temperature of your screen as the day goes on, pulling out the blue wavelengths. Sadly the appreciation of the dangers of artificial blue light in the day is not well appreciated so this program only comes on at sunset.

Once you have your glasses on, it doesn’t matter what light sources you have on in your house. You can even wear these glasses outdoors at night if you’ll be traveling in an area with LED streetlights. When you’re ready to climb into bed, make sure your bedroom is pitch black. The slightest bit of light in your bedroom can disrupt your body’s clock and your pineal gland’s melatonin production.

It’s a good idea to cover your windows with drapes or blackout shades to achieve this — especially if you have LED streetlights outside your bedroom window. If this isn’t possible, wear an eye mask, to block out any remaining light.

Sources and References

• Current Biology July 25, 2016
• Bipolar Disorders May 26, 2016
• Newsweek July 26, 2016
• Medical News Today July 15, 2016
• Prevent Disease July 15, 2016
• New Hope Network

• ¹ BluBlocker.com History
• ^2, 4 Newsweek July 26, 2016
• ³ Bipolar Disorders May 26, 2016
• ⁵ Chronobiol Int. 2009 Dec;26(8):1602-12.
• ⁶ New Hope Network
• ^7, 8 Current Biology July 25, 2016
• ⁹ American Medical Association June 14, 2016

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