Most people think sleep issues start with stress, hormones, aging, or a busy schedule. Few realize their environment may be working against them every single night.
Phones. TVs. Overhead LED lights. Laptops. Bright kitchen lighting at 9 PM. Scrolling Instagram in bed while your brain is supposed to be winding down.
Modern life keeps us surrounded by artificial blue light long after the sun goes down, and the body notices.
In this episode of the Everyday Epigenetics podcast, Susan Robbins sits down with Sam Nahna from Block Blue Light to talk about how blue light exposure impacts circadian rhythm, melatonin production, recovery, and overall health.
Your Brain Thinks It’s Daytime
Blue light isn’t inherently bad. Natural blue light from the sun helps regulate energy, alertness, and wakefulness during the day.
The problem starts at night.
Your body is designed to respond to darkness by producing melatonin, the hormone responsible for helping you wind down and prepare for sleep. Artificial lighting and screens interfere with that process by signaling to the brain that it’s still daytime.
For many people, this creates a cycle of feeling wired late at night, struggling to fall asleep, waking up exhausted, and relying on caffeine or stimulation to get through the next day.
Poor sleep doesn’t stay isolated to nighttime either. Recovery, mood, mental clarity, blood sugar regulation, hormones, inflammation, and overall resilience are all connected to sleep quality.
Why Blue Light Blocking Glasses Aren’t All the Same
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that not all blue light glasses actually work.
Cheap lenses often use surface coatings that block very little of the harmful wavelengths tied to melatonin disruption. Sam explains the difference between clear daytime lenses, yellow lenses for high screen exposure, amber nighttime lenses, and red lenses designed to fully block blue and green light in the evening.
Susan shares her own experience using red lenses at night and noticing a dramatic difference in how quickly her body starts winding down, especially during long summer evenings when sunlight stretches later into the night.
Small Changes Create Big Shifts
This conversation isn’t about perfection or throwing your phone into a lake.
It’s about reducing unnecessary stimulation and helping the body work the way it was designed to.
A softer light at night. Red or amber bulbs instead of harsh LEDs. Blue light blocking glasses while working late. Creating an environment that tells your nervous system it’s safe to slow down.
Sleep is one of the most powerful tools for recovery and health optimization, yet it’s often the first thing people sacrifice.
Your environment may be influencing your biology far more than you realize.
Learn more about Sam Nahna:
At BlueBlockLight, we create research-backed products designed to support health, circadian biology, and light-conscious living.
Sam has been with the company since its early stages and has become a leading product expert in the field of blue light mitigation and blue light blocking technology. His expertise spans the science of artificial light exposure, circadian health, sleep optimization, and the practical application of blue light blocking solutions in everyday life.
Working closely across product development, education, and marketing, Sam specializes in translating the technical and scientific side of light biology into practical, real-world strategies people can actually use. He is known for his deep understanding of how different wavelengths of light impact human physiology and how targeted light environments can support better sleep, recovery, energy, and long-term health.
RESOURCES:
Connect with Sam Nahna:
Website: https://www.blockbluelight.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blockbluelight_official/
Connect with Susan:
- Check out Susan’s NEW E-book! Download it FREE here: https://healthyawakening.co/ebook-signup
- Contact me for your DNA testing or epigenetic coaching! To schedule a FREE consultation, send an email to susan@healthyawakening.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanrobbinshealthyawakening
Instagram: @susanrobbins_epigeneticcoach
Susan’s LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/susanrobbins
Learn More about Susan Robbins:
Susan is a retired law enforcement officer and an accomplished Certified Epigenetic Human Performance Coach with a diverse and extensive background in wellness. She began her wellness career in 2015 as a holistic health and stress management coach. Her passion for helping others led her to expand her expertise into epigenetics in 2019, where she discovered the missing piece of the health optimization puzzle: Personalized health.
As a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Certified Level 2 Apeiron Zoh Epigenetic Human Performance Coach (DNA), and Certified PH360 Coach through Precision Health Alliance, Susan has developed a unique approach to health and wellness through completely personalized health. She is the proud recipient of the 2023 Precision Health Alliance Coach of the Year award. Susan works with clients to elevate their health and overall quality of life by understanding their unique needs based on their genetic makeup, taking out the guesswork, and getting results.
