Docs on Call
How Blue Light Can Disrupt Your Sleep
Clip: 8/20/2026 | 48sVideo has Closed Captions
A sleep specialist explains why screens before bed can make it harder to fall asleep.
Dr. Ravi Kashyap explains how blue light and stimulation from phones, tablets and television can make it harder for the brain to wind down for sleep. He compares screen exposure before bed to trying to fall asleep while it is still bright outside and explains why reducing stimulation can help the brain slow down.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Docs on Call is a local public television program presented by WTVP
Docs on Call
How Blue Light Can Disrupt Your Sleep
Clip: 8/20/2026 | 48sVideo has Closed Captions
Dr. Ravi Kashyap explains how blue light and stimulation from phones, tablets and television can make it harder for the brain to wind down for sleep. He compares screen exposure before bed to trying to fall asleep while it is still bright outside and explains why reducing stimulation can help the brain slow down.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- You mentioned phones and we hear a lot of news reports about blue light and how you shouldn't be on your phone right before you go to bed or your tablet, watching TV or whatever.
Can you expand a little bit more on that and why that's not a good thing?
- Yeah, so the stimulation of the brain, right?
Eyes are the direct communication to the brain.
So stimulating the brain and trying to shut it off, the brain wants to be shut off.
It's just like, for example, in summertime, if you want to sleep at 9:00 or 9:30, it's hard to fall asleep at 9:00 or 9:30 because you just got exposed to sun and you cannot fall asleep.
With the winter, 9:00 or 9:30, if you really want to sleep, you might have an easier time.
So that's part of the blue light stimulating the brain and not letting it slow down as it's supposed to.
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