Players to use innovative tinted specs to reduce the impact of blue light on sleeping patterns.
Bournemouth, 9 February 2017
British football team AFC Bournemouth are the latest sports team to start incorporating SleepSpec into their health and wellness programme. SleepSpec are scientifically engineered glasses which use amber lenses to help reduce the effect that blue light has on one’s sleep pattern.
‘Sleep is being increasingly recognised as a game changer for sportsmen – both on the field and in terms of recovery,’ says Bournemouth Team Physician Dr Craig Roberts. ‘Sleep is when the body repairs itself. If a player does not get enough sleep, they will not perform to their optimum level.’
Research has shown that the blue light present in all electronic devices whether it be mobile phones, tablets, television or gaming consoles is responsible for suppressing the production of melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone.
Dr Robert Daniel who developed the SleepSpec explains that our body clock is controlled by something called the circadian rhythm, which is the 24 hour cycle of day and night which controls our sleep patterns and is adapted to the earth’s natural rhythm of day and night.
At night, as the sun sets the body produces melatonin, which is needed to prepare the body to sleep. When the sun rises, light – in particular blue light – increases stopping the production of melatonin, causing the body to wake up.
‘Nowadays, however artificial light from lamps and particularly from electronic devices, means that the brain struggles to distinguish the change from day to night, melatonin production is suppressed and so our bodies’ are unable to move effectively into sleep mode,’ says Daniel.
SleepSpec works by filtering out blue light and allowing the body to produce melatonin and therefore prepare for sleep.
‘One simply has to wear the SleepSpec for a minimum of two hours before wanting to go to sleep,’ explains Daniel. ‘This allows for sufficient melatonin production to take place and provided the room is completely dark and there are no sources of blue light the body’s natural sleep pattern will take place.’
Furthermore, melatonin is the body’s most powerful anti-oxidant and performs the important function of ridding all cells of free radicals and other toxins. Therefore, good quality sleep is crucial for the health and wellbeing of all athletes and will greatly boost performance and health.
‘Many of our players spend long hours in hotel rooms and for entertainment they often watch television or play computer games. The consequence of this is that they then struggle to get to sleep once they go to bed, which subsequently affects their performance on the pitch,’ says Dr Roberts. ‘We believe that getting the players to use SleepSpec will allow them to have their down time without the negative consequences.’
SleepSpec Contact: Kerry-Ann Scrase
The Word Workshop – +27 82 882 7599
kerry@wordworkshop.co.za
AFC Bournemouth Contact: Anthony Marshall
anthony.marshall@afcb.co.uk
0 344 576 1910 / 01202 726312 / 07860 950983