Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

By: Emily Yang

Everyone has probably heard that you need to get the proper amount of hours in sleep to grow, and that is true. During sleep, the body works to sustain physical health and support health brain function. Despite all the evidence that argues for sleep, it is almost impressive how a lack of a proper sleep schedule is normalized, but it can be understandable, especially as students. Deadlines come up, work needs to be done, but even after everything is said and done, you still might not be able to sleep. Why is this the case? Well the culprit may just be your phone or devices and the light that reflects back. This is blue light and though electronic screens can emit all types of colours on their screens, it is the worst. Blue light tricks the brain into thinking it is the day rather than the actual night. If you use your phone before attempting to fall asleep then it is likely your body will stop releasing melatonin, which is the sleep hormone made to prepare the body for winding down and sleeping. This is especially true for students and teens who are more sensitive to these effects than adults, adding to this, early school start times, as well as other distractions are certain to create feelings of sleep deprivation. Not only could it affect sleep but, constant exposure to blue light over long periods of time can damage cells in the retina and cause vision problems, contributing to cataracts, as well as eye cancer. These effects may have some attempting to ward them off through dimming screens or wearing specialised glasses, but they have no proof towards actually working. As the new semester progresses, this information that has been drilled into everyone’s head must be refreshed and remembered. In the end, people, especially students should be willing to sacrifice a little screen time before and during night time for overall good long-term effects.

Works Cited

“Does the Light From a Screen Make it Hard to Sleep? (for Teens).” Kids Health, https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/blue-light.html. Accessed 4 March 2025.

“How blue light affects your eyes, sleep, and health.” UC Davis Health, 3 August 2022, https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/blue-light-effects-on-your-eyes-sleep-and-health/2022/08. Accessed 4 March 2025.

“How Sleep Works – Why Is Sleep Important?” NHLBI, 24 March 2022, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important. Accessed 4 March 2025.