光線的顏色對睡眠很重要

光線的顏色對睡眠很重要

Health experts have known for some time that exposure to light helps to regulate the body's internal clock. That's why humans get sleepy when it's dark outside and start to wake when it's light out. Research has found that it may be more than light affecting our circadian rhythms; it may be the color of that light that really makes a difference.

健康專家早就知道，暴露在陽光下有助于調(diào)節(jié)人體內(nèi)部的生物鐘。這就是為什么人們在天黑的時候會犯困，而在天亮的時候就會醒來。研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，影響晝夜節(jié)律的可能不僅僅是光;可能是光的顏色造成了真正的不同。

New research may help create better treatments for those who have trouble getting their zzz's. (Photo: ruigsantos/Shutterstock)

To test this, the University of Manchester researchers exposed mice to various colors and intensities of light while measuring nerve signals in the suprachiasmatic. Using an artificial sky, the mice were tested at various intensities of light, from bright light to complete darkness. And they were also tested when they were exposed to colors of light, such as the pinks and oranges that one might see during sunrise and sunset.

為了驗證這一點，曼徹斯特大學(xué)的研究人員讓老鼠接觸不同顏色和強(qiáng)度的光，同時測量視交叉上的神經(jīng)信號。利用人造天空，老鼠被測試在不同強(qiáng)度的光下，從明亮的光到完全的黑暗。他們還接受了光照測試，比如日出和日落時看到的粉紅色和橙色。

Researchers found that when the mice were exposed to light, as well as the various colors of light, they behaved perfectly normally. But when they were exposed to light that went from bright to dark without the color cues, their suprachiasmatic nerve signals lagged behind by about 30 minutes. Other physiological changes — such as a drop in body temperature — that might indicate the mice were ready to sleep also lagged behind by 30 minutes without exposure to colors.

研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，當(dāng)老鼠暴露在光線以及各種顏色的光線下時，它們的行為完全正常。但是當(dāng)他們暴露在沒有顏色提示的從亮到暗的光線下時，他們的視交叉上神經(jīng)信號落后了大約30分鐘。其他的生理變化，如體溫下降，可能表明老鼠準(zhǔn)備睡覺，也落后30分鐘沒有暴露在顏色。

The blue light from electronic devices can hinder your natural sleep patterns. (Photo: Zynatis/Shutterstock)

So what does all of this mean for humans? It's possible that it doesn't mean a thing. But other sleep studies that have looked into changes within the suprachiasmatic have noted a strong correlation between reactions in mice and those in humans. And if humans are affected by the color — and not just the intensity — of light, it may help health experts create better treatment options from those who suffer from sleep disorders, even minor ones such as jet lag.

那么這一切對人類意味著什么呢?它可能什么都不是。但其他研究視交叉上區(qū)變化的睡眠研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，小鼠和人類的反應(yīng)之間存在很強(qiáng)的相關(guān)性。如果人類受到光的顏色——而不僅僅是光的強(qiáng)度——的影響，它可能會幫助健康專家為那些患有睡眠障礙的人提供更好的治療選擇，即使是像時差這樣的小問題。

Another color perspective

另一種顏色的角度來看

Interestingly, a more recent study — also conducted by University of Manchester researchers — suggests that blue light may not be as disruptive to sleep patterns as originally thought.

有趣的是，最近一項同樣由曼徹斯特大學(xué)的研究人員進(jìn)行的研究表明，藍(lán)光對睡眠模式的干擾可能不像最初認(rèn)為的那樣嚴(yán)重。

The findings suggest that using dim, cooler lights in the evening and bright, warmer lights during the day might be better for health.

研究結(jié)果表明，晚上使用昏暗、涼爽的燈光，白天使用明亮、溫暖的燈光可能對健康更好。

Want to read before bed? Skip the tablet and pick up a physical book. (Photo: Y Photo Studio/Shutterstock)

There are ways to counteract the effects of blue light, though not all them may be appealing.

有一些方法可以抵消藍(lán)光的影響，盡管不是所有的方法都有吸引力。

On a very basic level, simply reducing your exposure to blue light before sleep should help. The Harvard summary mentions that avoiding looking at bright screens two to three hours before bed can make a difference, so that means minimizing your phone, tablet and TV time before hitting the sack.

在最基本的層面上，睡前減少藍(lán)光的照射會有所幫助。《哈佛摘要》提到，睡前兩到三小時不要盯著屏幕會有不同的效果，這意味著睡覺前盡量減少看手機(jī)、平板電腦和電視的時間。

If that doesn't work, a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that when young people (under the age of 20) wore orange-tinted glasses at night while looking at the screens, they felt more sleepy than those who wore nothing or their regular, clear-lens glasses. The Harvard summary backs that up, recommending wearing blue-blocking glasses if you work a night shift or need to use electronics frequently at night.

如果這不起作用，發(fā)表在《青少年健康雜志》上的一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，當(dāng)年輕人(20歲以下)晚上戴防藍(lán)光眼鏡看屏幕時，他們比不戴眼鏡或戴普通透明鏡片眼鏡的人更困?！豆鹫芬仓С诌@一觀點，建議在上夜班或需要頻繁使用電子設(shè)備的時候戴上防藍(lán)光眼鏡。

Of course, orange-tinted glasses may not be conducive to your lifestyle or your personal aesthetic, even if it does mean a better night's sleep. Ultimately, screens that don't use as much blue light may be the best way to get better sleep. A small study published in Sleep, and conducted by some of the same University of Manchester researchers mentioned earlier, outlines the benefits of a screen that allows the user to control the amount of cyan in an image.

當(dāng)然，防藍(lán)光眼鏡可能不利于你的生活方式或個人審美，即使它確實意味著更好的睡眠。最終，不用那么多藍(lán)光的屏幕可能是獲得更好睡眠的最好方法。《睡眠》雜志上發(fā)表了一項小型研究，由曼徹斯特大學(xué)的一些研究人員進(jìn)行，他們之前提到過，該研究概述了屏幕的好處，即用戶可以控制圖像中青色的數(shù)量。