12/29/20 Light

Blue light, red light, circadian rhythms, daylight, digital eye strain from light, diseases and cures related to light, and anything that falls under the light bucket.

12/29/20

General article on blue blockers and screen time. https://highschool.latimes.com/sierra-canyon-high-school/blue-light-glasses-trend-helpful-or-hype/

The Effects Of A Screen's Blue Light On Children's Mental Health
The effects of blue light on children has long been associated with many physical ailments, but some experts warn it impacts their mental health, too.
https://www.moms.com/blue-light-screen-effects-kids-mental-health/

6/29/20

Deep red light reboots aging retinas like "recharging a battery"
As our bodies age we can expect different components to deteriorate in performance, however, not all do so at the same pace. The retinas are one example of a part that ages sooner than most, but a new study has demonstrated how a form of deep red light therapy can help arrest this slide. Hitting the eyeball with just the right wavelength of light has been found to “recharge the energy system” and bring significant improvements to vision in those over 40.https://newatlas.com/medical/deep-red-light-aging-retinas/

LED Light Therapy vs. Laser Light Therapy: Which One Is Better for Skin?
(Newswire.net -- June 26, 2020) -- There is currently a lot of discussion in rehab circles surrounding light-based modalities' efficacy and therapeutic potential. From licensed sports teams to separate practices, these technologies are starting to be used daily to treat injured tissue. Light-based therapy applied to treat pain and inflammation can be delivered by both lasers and LEDs. Purchasers often want to understand the operational and therapeutic distinctions between them...https://newswire.net/newsroom/blog-post/00121120-led-light-therapy-vs-laser-light-therapy-which-one-is-better-for-skin.html

3/9/20

Your brain adjusts your body’s clock according to all the colors of the rainbow

Springing forward for daylight saving time means less blue light, but also light contrasts

As daylight saving time ends, the effect of light in our daily lives shines bright. Light is one of the most important environmental factors that affects our biological clocks. Now, new research is giving us insight into how our bodies both see and interpret light...
https://massivesci.com/articles/daylight-savings-blue-light-superchiasmatic-nucleus-circadian-rhythms/
The research/study: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30084-1#secsectitle0020 

3/3/20

Sarasota psychologist George Lindenfeld pursues photon therapy to address brain damage

SARASOTA – With its metal headbands, wires, LED light housings, and clamp-on nostril attachment all plugged into a hand-held battery, the contraption looks like a behavior modification experiment for human lab rats on the go. Psychologist George Lindenfeld says his wife calls it “the Frankenstein cap.”...
https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20200302/in-search-of-light-fix-for-ptsd

3/6/20

Blue light lowers depression for concussion sufferers in early study
A small but promising study carried out at University of Arizona has uncovered some interesting possibilities around treatment for common concussion symptoms. The researchers found that by subjecting people with a mild brain injury to a dose of blue light each morning, they could help to reduce some of its typical side effects such as depression and problems with sleep...
https://newatlas.com/medical/blue-light-lowers-depression-concussion-sufferers/

3/2/20

Babies aren't getting enough sleep because they're spending too much time in front of screens

A new scientific paper finds that babies aged 0-5 are having trouble sleeping because of excessive screen time.

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/health/screen-time-babies-blue-light/67-177b4957-17be-475c-a5f8-37ee5e51aea4

Should you be worried about blue light?
Health. There is no evidence that blue light from digital devices damages the eye, but it does disturb our natural wake and sleep cycle and may cause digital eye strain. Take regular breaks from your devices to reduce eye strain, and decrease their use just before bedtime for more restful sleep...
http://www.westmilfordmessenger.com/features/healthy-you/should-you-be-worried-about-blue-light-AH944406
My thoughts: This one goes contrary to a lot of the reading and recommendations I've seen from numerous eye-gurus. The source for the article is the American Academy of Ophthalmology: (aao.org), which does lend a lot of credibility to their assertions. I wear blue blockers at night. I pop them on an hour or so before I go to bed. During the day I skip them. Dave Asprey (Bulletproof & be sure to read Super Human) is a strong proponent of blue blockers...but then again, he also has the True Dark company which sells blue blockers. Not to suggest he's just hawking his business --- he generally finds something he believes in and THEN starts a company so I tend to believe his research on this one and many other topics. As always, I read, read, look at studies, set up alerts and try to look at all sides.

NOTE: to read this article you have to register (free) or subscribe. I didn't do either so I could only read the first few paragraphs.
Blue Light Improves Concussion Symptoms
TORONTO ― Patients with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) who have exposed to blue light experience less depression and fewer cognitive and other concussion-related symptoms than those exposed to a placebo light, a new study has found...
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/926075