Special glasses may alleviate insomnia

According to specialists, amber-tinted glasses may actually help people sleep better

Scientists from Columbia University Medical Center have just tested a method to reduce the negative influence of the exposure to light, with the goal of improving the sleep of people suffering from insomnia.

As the modern world brought us smartphones, tablets and laptops negatively affecting our good night’s sleep, the Columbia team, conducted by Ari Shechter, PhD, asked 14 people diagnosed with insomnia to take part to a small study about amber-tinted lenses.

The participants were asked to wear these lenses for two hours before bedtime. According to the final results, patients wearing the glasses got an extra 30 minutes of sleep and an overall reduction of the symptoms associated with insomnia.

“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. 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,” Dr. Shechter explained.

Moreover, the use of amber lenses seems to decrease blood pressure levels as well as mental hyperactivity, sometimes leading to poor quality or lack of sleep altogether.

Their study will be published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research issued this month, under the name “Blocking nocturnal blue light for insomnia: A randomized controlled trial.”