The Importance of Sleep & The Threat of Artificial Blue Light Exposure w/James Swanwick

April 9, 2019

Sleep deprivation leads to so many biological system defects, and nothing impacts it as badly as our excessive exposure to artificial blue light. What are the biggest sources of this blue light, and how does it differ from natural blue light? What does it do to our health, and what can we do about it? How does alcohol consumption also affect our health and ability to sleep properly? On this episode, I’m joined by Swanwick Sleep founder, James Swanwick, who shares on his work helping people improve their sleep, how he got into making fashionable blue light blockers, and why he became alcohol-free.

Four Takeaways

• Not all blue light is bad. In fact, the sun is the biggest emitter of blue light, and getting sun exposure during the day is good.
• Overexposure to artificial blue light is what’s bad for us. Everytime we stare into our devices without eye protection, we’re blasting our eyes with mini suns which affects our pituitary and pineal glands. This is what causes issues for our sleep and health.
• Drinking, even a little, may seem harmless, but it can have catastrophic effects on health, focus, sleep, and even how we look.
• When it comes to wearing blue light blockers, remember this rule: clear lenses for daytime and orange for nighttime.

At the start of the show, James shared on his background, and we talked about why sleep is so important. We covered why it’s essential for replenishing and restoring the body, the difference between natural and artificial blue light, and how the latter negatively impacts our bodies. James shared the story of how he started his blue blocker company and all the other health-related work he does.

We also discussed:

• How our super high-def TV screens affect our eyesight and health
• The 30-day no alcohol challenge and how alcohol suppresses consciousness
• Developing a muscle of gratitude

Nature intends us to get 6-8 hours of good quality sleep every night, but the man-made stuff we use daily is compromising our sleep and our health. Sleep is essential for so many biological functions and systems, and if we don’t prioritize it, we’re doing a lot of harm. Artificial blue light tricks our bodies into thinking that it’s daytime all the time, meaning we won’t produce the melatonin we need. Don’t underestimate what this does to your whole body and the long-term negative effects. Ultimately, you want to put your best foot forward and that’s impossible without good sleep.

Guest Bio-

James is the founder of Swanwick Sleep, Swannies Blue Light Blockers, the 30-Day No Alcohol Challenge and Project 90. He is also a New York-based ESPN anchor on SportsCenter, author of ‘Insider Journalism Secrets’ and co-founder of international agency, Crocmedia. He has been a print or TV journalist for 20 years, writing for newspapers and magazines in the US, UK and Australia. These include Associated Press, Sky Sports, ESPN, WPLJ radio, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Sky Movie Channel, Q104FM, Loaded magazine, Woman’s Day, The Courier-Mail and much more. Go to http://jamesswanwick.com/, https://www.swanwicksleep.com/ for more information.

To join the 30-Day No Alcohol Challenge, go to http://30daynoalcoholchallenge.com/.

If you’re an entrepreneur and want to join the 90-day No Alcohol Challenge for Entrepreneurs go to http://jamesswanwick.com/project90.