New Blue-Blocking Glasses Make You Sleep Better

There are infrared glasses, protective ones, glasses that improve your vision and even 'over-the-top' glasses. But what about glasses that make you sleep in a nice and easy way?

A team at John Carroll University, making investigations in its Lighting Innovations Institute, has come up with an affordable accessory that could decrease the symptoms experienced by ADHD patients and could also improve sleep patterns in people experiencing difficulty when falling asleep.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological developmental disorder affecting 5% of the people. It appears during childhood and is characterized by inattention and/or hyperactivity, forgetfulness, poor impulse control (impulsivity) and distractibility. The disease is chronic and has no cure.

The new glasses developed by the John Carroll team are aimed at blocking blue light, affecting the individual’s circadian rhythm, a fact translated in an improvement in ADHD symptoms and sleep impairment. The glasses are meant to spur melatonin release.

The person puts on the glasses about two hours before sleeping, increasing the circadian rhythm. By blocking the blue rays, the glasses allow for the flow of melatonin, the sleep hormone, earlier, as these rays are known to inhibit its synthesis. In humans, night light induces changes in the levels of the melatonin, also 'found' in the biological clock, immune system and acting as an antioxidant.

Usually, the melatonin synthesis starts only when the individual is in a dark place. Researches have shown that earlier synthesis of melatonin lowers the ADHD symptoms. The new blue-blocking glasses could also get people out of the blue, as they seem to work in cases of postpartum depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder and could also lower the risk of cancer.

If wearing glasses is a discomfort for you, here come the alternatives: night lights and light bulbs coated in blue-blocking filters. The night light also comes cheaper: about $5 for light bulbs and night lights while the glasses cost $40-$60.

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