光线的颜色对睡眠很重要

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.

健康专家早就知道，暴露在阳光下有助于调节人体内部的生物钟。这就是为什么人们在天黑的时候会犯困，而在天亮的时候就会醒来。研究发现，影响昼夜节律的可能不仅仅是光;可能是光的颜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.

为了验证这一点，曼彻斯特大学的研究人员让老鼠接触不同颜色和强度的光，同时测量视交叉上的神经信号。利用人造天空，老鼠被测试在不同强度的光下，从明亮的光到完全的黑暗。他们还接受了光照测试，比如日出和日落时看到的粉红色和橙色。

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.

研究人员发现，当老鼠暴露在光线以及各种颜色的光线下时，它们的行为完全正常。但是当他们暴露在没有颜色提示的从亮到暗的光线下时，他们的视交叉上神经信号落后了大约30分钟。其他的生理变化，如体温下降，可能表明老鼠准备睡觉，也落后30分钟没有暴露在颜色。

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.

那么这一切对人类意味着什么呢?它可能什么都不是。但其他研究视交叉上区变化的睡眠研究发现，小鼠和人类的反应之间存在很强的相关性。如果人类受到光的颜色——而不仅仅是光的强度——的影响，它可能会帮助健康专家为那些患有睡眠障碍的人提供更好的治疗选择，即使是像时差这样的小问题。

Another color perspective

另一种颜色的角度来看

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，最近一项同样由曼彻斯特大学的研究人员进行的研究表明，蓝光对睡眠模式的干扰可能不像最初认为的那样严重。

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

研究结果表明，晚上使用昏暗、凉爽的灯光，白天使用明亮、温暖的灯光可能对健康更好。

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蓝光的影响，尽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.

在最基本的层面上，睡前减少蓝光的照射会有所帮助。《哈佛摘要》提到，睡前两到三小时不要盯着屏幕会有不同的效果，这意味着睡觉前尽量减少看手机、平板电脑和电视的时间。

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.

如果这不起作用，发表在《青少年健康杂志》上的一项研究发现，当年轻人(20岁以下)晚上戴防蓝光眼镜看屏幕时，他们比不戴眼镜或戴普通透明镜片眼镜的人更困。《哈佛摘要》也支持这一观点，建议在上夜班或需要频繁使用电子设备的时候戴上防蓝光眼镜。

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.

当然，防蓝光眼镜可能不利于你的生活方式或个人审美，即使它确实意味着更好的睡眠。最终，不用那么多蓝光的屏幕可能是获得更好睡眠的最好方法。《睡眠》杂志上发表了一项小型研究，由曼彻斯特大学的一些研究人员进行，他们之前提到过，该研究概述了屏幕的好处，即用户可以控制图像中青色的数量。