Dr. Matthew Walker

Yeah, the data there is quite strong on melatonin. However- In terms of the blue light from our devices being the catastrophic force on sleep decline that we used to think it was is probably not true. So if you're on your phone at night or if you're on your computer... Blue light is not the villain that we thought.

Yeah, the data there is quite strong on melatonin. However- In terms of the blue light from our devices being the catastrophic force on sleep decline that we used to think it was is probably not true. So if you're on your phone at night or if you're on your computer... Blue light is not the villain that we thought.

There's been a great, there's been a guy in Australia, almost pioneered this, Michael Gradazar. He started to get skeptical of this whole blue light thing. And there's been a couple of powerful studies that, yes, it definitely blocks your melatonin. Yes, it can disrupt your sleep. But what he demonstrated is that it's not the blue light itself.

There's been a great, there's been a guy in Australia, almost pioneered this, Michael Gradazar. He started to get skeptical of this whole blue light thing. And there's been a couple of powerful studies that, yes, it definitely blocks your melatonin. Yes, it can disrupt your sleep. But what he demonstrated is that it's not the blue light itself.

There's been a great, there's been a guy in Australia, almost pioneered this, Michael Gradazar. He started to get skeptical of this whole blue light thing. And there's been a couple of powerful studies that, yes, it definitely blocks your melatonin. Yes, it can disrupt your sleep. But what he demonstrated is that it's not the blue light itself.

It's that these devices that we use that emit blue light.

It's that these devices that we use that emit blue light.

It's that these devices that we use that emit blue light.

They are attention capture devices. They are hugely activating. And their sole purpose now is to capture your attention economy. And they do it ruthlessly well.

They are attention capture devices. They are hugely activating. And their sole purpose now is to capture your attention economy. And they do it ruthlessly well.

They are attention capture devices. They are hugely activating. And their sole purpose now is to capture your attention economy. And they do it ruthlessly well.

And they stimulate dopamine. They switch on your cortex. And that results in this thing that we call sleep procrastination, where you know that you're tired, but then you think, oh gosh, I'll just look at Facebook one last time. Oh, I'll just check X one more time. And oh, I should have ordered that thing from Amazon. Let me just go and do that. And you look up and it's 40 minutes later.

And they stimulate dopamine. They switch on your cortex. And that results in this thing that we call sleep procrastination, where you know that you're tired, but then you think, oh gosh, I'll just look at Facebook one last time. Oh, I'll just check X one more time. And oh, I should have ordered that thing from Amazon. Let me just go and do that. And you look up and it's 40 minutes later.

And they stimulate dopamine. They switch on your cortex. And that results in this thing that we call sleep procrastination, where you know that you're tired, but then you think, oh gosh, I'll just look at Facebook one last time. Oh, I'll just check X one more time. And oh, I should have ordered that thing from Amazon. Let me just go and do that. And you look up and it's 40 minutes later.

And what he's really arguing, and I think the data is compelling now, is that you just need to try to do a digital detox, not for the blue light, but for the demonstrable capturing of your brain's cortical activation.

And what he's really arguing, and I think the data is compelling now, is that you just need to try to do a digital detox, not for the blue light, but for the demonstrable capturing of your brain's cortical activation.

And what he's really arguing, and I think the data is compelling now, is that you just need to try to do a digital detox, not for the blue light, but for the demonstrable capturing of your brain's cortical activation.

I would suggest that for people, there are two rules of thumb. If you can, desaturate your phone to black and white. There are some apps that will do it. Big difference. The second is if you have to use your phone in the bedroom, and I know that genie is out the bottle, no matter what I say, it's not going back in any time soon.

I would suggest that for people, there are two rules of thumb. If you can, desaturate your phone to black and white. There are some apps that will do it. Big difference. The second is if you have to use your phone in the bedroom, and I know that genie is out the bottle, no matter what I say, it's not going back in any time soon.

I would suggest that for people, there are two rules of thumb. If you can, desaturate your phone to black and white. There are some apps that will do it. Big difference. The second is if you have to use your phone in the bedroom, and I know that genie is out the bottle, no matter what I say, it's not going back in any time soon.