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There's insufficient evidence the problem results from blue light specifically, rather than the absolute amount of light. I would not be surprised any amount of
by cmurf 10y ago
There's insufficient evidence the problem results from blue light specifically, rather than the absolute amount of light. I would not be surprised any amount of light that results in mesopic, let alone photopic, adaptation would be a sleep inhibitor. The human visual system is very adaptive, and we're not nocturnal animals, so pretty much anything brighter than moon light pretty much I'd expect would be a potential trigger for "time to be awake".
- kale 10y agoIt's the scientific concensus (unless you reject all of the evidence that's out there for the past 15 years). We have multiple receptors in our eyes to do signalling, it's likely that only the S cone cell (low wavelength receptor) suppresses melatonin. This study found no melatonin suppression for higher wavelength light: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14962066 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14962066 This study also showed the wavelength effect (may be the first big publication on the topic?): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11763987 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11763987 In addition, not only is it an observed effect, but it can be harnessed. This study showed increase in salivary melatonin by using glasses that filtered lower wavelengths of light: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15713707 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15713707 The effect is such a strong one that it was discovered despite not being one of the measurements in an unrelated experiment on breast cancer. And throughout antiquity, the only light at night we're exposed to has been that of fire, which is a higher wavelength source.
- cmurf 10y agoMelanopsin retinal ganglion, hmm. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831986/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831986/