Club news

The blue light affecting your sleep, by Matt

June 6, 2016 @ 4:30 pm

Along with training and nutrition, improving the quality of your sleep is a key factor when it comes to weight loss and general wellbeing.

From a training perspective, sleep plays a big role helping your body recover. Poor sleep will mean poor recovery, resulting in less productive training and possibly not the results you are looking for. Sleep quality is also being linked to a whole host of serious health problems.

One of the main culprits for poor quality sleep in this day and age is electronic devices.

When you get up in the morning, the light outside is starting to turn blue, which is nature’s way of telling the body to wake up. As the sun sets at night the light becomes yellower. This is nature’s way of telling the body it’s time to slow down and go to sleep.

The problem with iPads and computers are that they emit blue light. This is fine in the day but not great at night, as it sends mixed messages to the brain which will affect your sleep quality. Its impact is so great that a blue LED shining from a car dashboard would be an effective way of preventing drivers from falling asleep at the wheel.

Avoiding electronic blue light at least 60 minutes before you go to bed is a good idea.

If you need to go on a computer, phone or tablet late at night, then I’d recommend you using an app or setting on your devices that reduces the blue light they produce – they are available for Apple and android – just search the App store (some examples are Twilight, Eyepro and Bluelight Filter). In fact, Apple’s latest update now allows you to do this in the ‘display and brightness’ settings without the need for an app.

You can also try a free download like www.justgetflux.com

It’s a simple change, but these small steps all add up when it comes to health and fitness.

Now get a good night’s sleep. Facebook will still be there in the morning.

Matt Philpott _DSC6134Matt Philpott is an experienced personal trainer – previously a professional athlete and coach – at Fresh. If you’d like to chat to Matt please call 01932 225953 or email info@trainfresh.co.uk

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