Getting Better Sleep

Getting quality sleep can be challenging, especially with all the electronics around, not to mention so many of us work until the wee hours of the night.

In this writeup I talk about how important it is to get the right amount of sleep. If you’re feeling your best, you’ll stand to do better with your customers, and earn more!

Screens and Blue Light

You’ve probably heard this already, but our screens emit light that really messes with our brains – it’s called blue light, and even though it’s not actually blue, the emission spectrum has a peak in this blue range. Blue has the shortest wavelength and penetrates the eye deeper than UV does. If you want to read more on this subject, check this out: Healthline.com — What is Blue Light? but not before you go to bed!

Why is Blue Light Bad?

We’re wired to be awake during the day and asleep at night, that’s just how our biology works. Our pineal gland plays a big role in this, releasing melatonin to help us wind down and stay asleep. But that process depends on something simple, which is..wait for it…darkness. When we’re staring at screens in bed, we’re basically signaling to our brain, “Hey, stay awake!”

Studies like Blue Light Effects On Your Eyes, Sleep, and Health explain why: our eyes don’t block blue light well. It passes right through the cornea and lens and hits the retina directly — the part of our eye that talks to the brain. That exposure stops melatonin in its tracks, making it harder to fall asleep or get restful sleep once we do.

So if you’re finding it tough to unwind at night, blue light might be the culprit. By cutting down screen time in the evening or using filters, we’re giving our body a chance to shut down, recharge, and get a proper night’s rest.

Bono Mode: Rock Some Amber Glasses

As someone who spends long hours in front of a screen at night, amber-tinted glasses ended up being one of the biggest sleep upgrades I’ve made. I look like an idiot, and my family makes fun of me, but it has helped tremendously. These glasses are designed to block out blue light which would otherwise be impacting me as stated above.

The science backs it up. A 2009 study titled “Amber lenses to block blue light and improve sleep: a randomized trial”found that participants wearing amber lenses reported significantly better sleep quality and mood improvements compared to the control group. It’s a strong validation of what many of us have experienced firsthand in blue light disrupting our circadian rhythm. Filtering it out helps our body wind down the way it’s supposed to.

Night Mode on your phone helps a little, sure, but it’s nowhere near enough. What made a real difference was getting a pair of actual blue light–blocking glasses. I wear a clip-on version over my regular glasses a couple of hours before bed, and anecdotally, I’ve noticed that I fall asleep quicker and sleep more deeply when I use them consistently.

The first time you wear them, it’s wild. Digital clocks basically vanish. Streetlights turn a deep amber. Even purple objects shift toward red. It’s like flipping a switch on how your eyes perceive the world at night.

If you’re having trouble sleeping or just want to support your body’s natural rhythm, I highly recommend trying a pair. They’re inexpensive, easy to use, and might just change how you sleep.

Sleep Schedule

One of the biggest lessons I learned (after messing it up so often) is just how vital consistency is for sleep. Repetition sets your internal clock. But here’s the thing: there’s no universal “perfect” bedtime. You have to train your body, experiment a bit, and figure out what rhythm actually works for you.

For me, it took trial and error. I went through some rough patches, and I’ll admit, I fell off track more than once. But after a few weeks I finally landed on a bedtime routine that stuck. Now I go to sleep around the same time every night and that alone has made a huge difference. Sometimes I’ll have to pop melatonin or partake in certain herbal refreshments (lol). Sometimes I’ll go out late, drink way more than I should have, and struggle, but I try to make that the exception.

Don’t get stressed out about it, rather pick a bedtime that gives you room to breathe. You want enough time in the evening to take care of things, unwind properly, and still get to sleep at a reasonable hour. Once you’ve got that time, try to be consistent with it.

Most people do best with 7 to 8 hours of sleep but what’s crazy is I only get 5-6. I used to freak out and try to force myself to sleep more, but for me it’s just not meant to be. I’ve heard from several doctors that this is ok, and as you get older, you get less sleep, so again the point is don’t stress it. Just stick to a consistent schedule.

Set the Mood

Even if you’re doing everything right (wearing amber glasses, shutting off screens early, getting into bed on time) your sleep can still suffer if your environment isn’t working with you. That was something I didn’t fully appreciate until I started adjusting it myself.

One thing I learned is that room temperature matters more than I thought. I kept reading that the ideal sleep temperature is around 66 degrees Fahrenheit, which sounded way too cold at first. But after testing out different temps, I noticed I actually slept about 25 minutes longer at 66. Everyone’s a little different, of course, and the number of blankets you use plays a role too. The goal is to feel comfortable, but just a little on the cool side.

Another change that made a big difference was how I used my bed. I used to scroll on my phone while lying in bed and then expect to fall right asleep. In hindsight, that was probably the worst thing I could have done. Not only was I blasting my eyes with blue light right before trying to sleep, but I was also teaching my brain that the bed was a place to be mentally active. Now, I try to reserve the bed only for sleeping. No reading, no phones, no working. Just sleep.

Also, take a look at your room in the morning. Is light pouring in through the windows? Is there street noise or traffic? Do you live near something loud or unpredictable? I realized I was sleeping directly over a baseboard heater that would crank on and wake me up. Once I moved my bed and started using a sleep mask and reusable earplugs, the quality of my sleep noticeably improved. Small changes like that added up in a big way.

So in sum, creating the right environment is the final piece of the puzzle. It’s not just about when you go to sleep, but also where and how.

Conclusion

Well, thank you for coming to my TED talk. I hope you found this interesting, and didn’t read without night mode, while drinking alcohol, with all the lights on, and 0 amber glasses. Wishing you all an amazing night full of tips, and good sleep. Send me a comment at info@justthetips.com if you found this valuable!