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Study proves beneficial effects of amber-tinted lenses on insomnia symptoms
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Wearing amber lenses improves sleep in individuals with insomnia symptoms, attenuating the effects of overexposure to blue light from computers, TV, smartphones and tablet screens, according to a study.
Previous studies have demonstrated that the use of blue light-emitting devices in the evening hours preceding bedtime causes a delay in melatonin onset, contributing to an alteration of circadian rhythms and delays in sleep initiation mechanism and maintenance. The aim of the study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of amber lenses that filter out blue light in individuals with chronic symptoms of insomnia.
Seven participants were instructed to wear frames containing amber lenses each night for 2 hours before bedtime. Clear lenses were worn by a control group of seven subjects for the same length of time. The primary outcome was Pittsburgh Insomnia Rating Scale (PIRS) scores.
The PIRS is a 65-item 4-point scale including insomnia-related distress symptoms, sleep initiation, maintenance and duration, sleep quality and the impact of insomnia on quality of life.
Secondary outcomes included subjective documentation of sleep patterns through sleep diaries and post-sleep questionnaires. In addition, during the 7-day intervention period, participants continuously wore an accelerometer on their nondominant wrist to obtain measurements of sleep onset latency, total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency and wakefulness after sleep onset.
PIRS total score was significantly reduced in the group wearing amber lenses. Mean wake-up time was significantly delayed, and subjective measures of TST were significantly increased. Subjective ratings on the overall quality of sleep and actigraphy-derived sleep duration were significantly improved in the amber lenses group.
“Now more than ever we are exposing ourselves to high amounts of blue light before bedtime, which may contribute to or exacerbate sleep problems. Amber lenses are affordable and they can easily be combined with other established cognitive and behavioral techniques for insomnia management,” Ari Shechter, PhD, first author of the study, said in a press release from Columbia University Medical Center.
He pointed out that blue light not only comes from phones, televisions and computers, but also from many light bulbs and other LED light sources that are increasingly used in our homes because they are energy-efficient and cost-effective.
“The glasses approach allows us to filter out blue-wavelength light from all these sources, which might be particularly useful for individuals with sleep difficulties,” he said. – by Michela Cimberle
Disclosure: The authors reported no relevant financial disclosures.
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