Blue Light Does Not Interrupt Sleeping Patterns, Study Says

Category: Health

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. point out (something) / pɔɪnt aʊt / (phrasal) – to talk about or discuss something that one wants to emphasize
    Example:

    His study pointed out the effects of blue light on people’s eyes and brains.


  2. suppress / səˈprɛs / (v) – to stop or prevent something
    Example:

    He suppressed his anger by telling himself to calm down.


  3. interruption / ˌɪn təˈrʌp ʃən / (n) – the act of stopping someone or something from a continuous activity
    Example:

    I usually have sleep interruptions at night because my neighbors are noisy.


  4. stimulating / ˈstɪm yəˌleɪtɪŋ / (adj) – having the ability to produce an active effect
    Example:

    The group discussion was stimulating and informative. Everyone participated.


  5. associate / əˈsoʊ ʃiˌeɪt / (v) – to link or connect to someone or something
    Example:

    The color blue is associated with peace and calmness.


Article

Read the text below.

A recent study revealed that blue light emitted from screens does not actually disrupt sleeping patterns.


Previous studies have pointed out that blue light suppresses the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates an individual’s sleep cycle. Reduced melatonin levels may lead to sleeping problems, like insomnia. Thus, phone developers introduced night mode to lessen melatonin suppression. With this feature, screens use warm yellow colors instead of blue light.


However, researchers from Manchester University found that exposure to warm colors before going to sleep is what actually disrupts sleeping patterns. Hence, the night mode feature might be contributing to sleep interruptions more than regular brightness settings do.


To come up with these findings, the researchers conducted an experiment on mice, wherein they exposed the animals to blue and yellow lights with varying brightness. Results showed that both colors were stimulating when the brightness was high. However, when both colors were dimmed, only the blue light produced restful effects.


The findings prove to be aligned with the fact that warm, bright yellow light is associated with daylight, when most people are active, while dim blue light is associated with night time, when most people are usually asleep. Thus, the researchers believe that their findings hold true for other mammals, like humans, as well.


Still, to confirm their findings, the researchers recommend further studies on the matter.


According to the researchers, using light colors correctly may be significant in solving sleeping problems. They also said that there are available and scientifically proven ways to fix such problems, such as synchronizing body clocks with personal schedules, instead of relying on the night mode of devices.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• After learning about the effect of night mode on people’s sleeping patterns, are you going to warn others about it? Why or why not?
• Apart from those mentioned in the article, how can people have good sleeping patterns? Discuss.

Discussion B

• In your opinion, why is it important to conduct research about people’s sleeping patterns? Explain.
• Apart from light, what else do you think researchers can look into to learn more about people’s sleeping patterns? Discuss.