 Did you know that one of the most effective ways to boost your brain function is by using light? Yes, if various types of lights are used properly, you can quickly boost your energy, focus, attention and overall well-being. But if the light is used improperly, you may achieve just the opposite effect and damage your performance. So how should you use different types of lights like blue light, UVB light and red light to boost your brain performance? And how should you protect yourself from damaging effects of light? Let's find it out. Oh, and if you stay with me till the end, I'm going to share with you my daily light protocol that helps me achieve peak brain performance. Hey friends, welcome back to the channel. My name is Greg and I'm a certified brain health professional. On this channel, we have professionals achieve peak brain performance. If that interests you then subscribe below and join our amazing community. Light is an electromagnetic energy that can either give you lots of brain power and energy or cause a lack of energy. Because light is an energy, you should be aware of how to use various types of lights to achieve peak brain performance and how not to use it so you don't destroy your performance. Now, when it comes to brain performance, there are three colors of light that you should know about. The UVB light that comes from the sun, the blue light that most electronic devices with a screen emit and the red light that is being used more and more in various therapies. First, let's talk about the UVB or the B type ultraviolet light. That's the light that the sun emits, but we can really see it with our eyes. Now, when I was a kid, I remember my parents always trying to protect me from the damaging UVB light because it could cause burning, redness, blistering and in the worst case, skin cancer. However, no one really talked about the importance of the UVB light. So, instead of spending time outside during summer, I was often hiding inside to protect myself from sun. Now, while UVB can be extremely dangerous if you're exposed to it for a long time, some exposure is actually extremely beneficial. First of all, the UVB light exposure increases testosterone and estrogen production. Secondly, it releases beta endorphins, which basically lower your perception of pain. UVB light also activates a particular channel within the sympathetic nervous system which leads to the spleen deploying immune cells to combat infection. This means that some UVB light is crucial to improve your well-being, boost your brain performance and improve your health. But how much is enough and what's too much? 20 to 30 minutes of sun exposure during the day seems to be a good starting point. Actually, multiple studies show that we would all do better with more UVB exposure during the day, all year round, not with less. Actually, one of the best ways to reset your circadian rhythm, which is your internal body clock, is to go outside during the sunrise and watch directly into the sun for a few minutes. The longer you watch, the better, as long as your eyes don't really hurt. Now, if it's overcast, that's fine. There's still more than enough light energy out there for your nervous system to properly wake up. But you need to stay outside a bit longer, probably around 20 to 30 minutes. But UVB light is also very damaging, right? Well, yes, too much UVB light can burn your skin, as I previously mentioned. Also, if you look directly into the sunlight during the day, you may damage your eyes, so you need to do all that in moderation. But if you can go outside during the day to expose yourself to some UVB light, you may be able to improve your performance and health after all. By the way, do you want to boost your brain performance? Go for a free brain assessment, linked below, and get your brain performance score and a personalized plan. Speaking of performance, how about the damaging blue light? It is quite dangerous, right? That's why Dave Esprit is always walking around with those blue light blocking glasses. Well, as a matter of fact, blue light in the first part of the day is not really dangerous. Just the contrary, you want to expose yourself to as much blue light in the morning as possible, because blue light and other types of bright light will help your body and nervous system to wake up. So that means you shouldn't really use the blue light blocking glasses in the morning. Or should you? Well, most people actually shouldn't, but there is one exception, and that is if you work on your computer every day. In this case, it is actually smart to use such glasses, as I do. But apart from that, you shouldn't worry too much about the blue light exposure in the first part of the day. So next time you see Dave Esprit in the morning using his blue light blocking glasses, do tell him that. But you need to be more careful about what's going on in the afternoon and evening. Multiple studies show that blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, which is a crucial hormone for a quality sleep. So what can you do about the blue light to protect your sleep? First, use dim red lights in the evening and at night, because they have a smaller impact on melatonin production. Do not look at bright screens at least one hour before sleep. And if you absolutely can't avoid staring at electronic devices, then use blue light blocking glasses, like I do, that minimize the side effects of the damaging blue light. By the way, if you like this video, please press the like button below. All right, we talked about the blue light and the UVB light, but how about the red light and infrared light? We already know that red light has a smaller impact on your sleep than blue light. But why are so many health experts talking about the red light benefits nowadays? Well, because infrared light and red light is being used in many therapies. Studies show that red light therapy can change the metabolic function of the cells. It can also penetrate into your skin and help with scars, wound healing, and even pigmentation. Even more, infrared light can get to mitochondria, which increases ATP production. And lastly, one recently published study showed that a red light therapy can improve vision in people aged 40 plus, which is just fantastic. But how can we get those benefits and avoid potential side effects? Well, first, most effects and benefits are seen when red light is used on a small body area, and not just on the whole body. The second thing is that you need to do the red light therapy in the first part of the day, preferably in the morning. The third thing is that many studies use specific red lights at a specific distance for a specific time. So before you play with the red light, do consult experts first. And lastly, we're still in the early research stage, which means that we'll need to wait a bit longer to know more about the long-term effects of red light therapies. So how do I use various lights to light up my brain like a Christmas tree and to protect my sleep? First of all, I expose myself to sunlight for 5 to 10 minutes almost every morning. If the weather is bad, then I use a light therapy lamp like this one, which triggers the same cells in the eyes and provides similar effects. It just takes a bit longer. Then, whenever possible, I do spend some time outside during the day, especially during the warmer months. When I can, I walk outside shirtless, which is how I get the benefits faster and how I keep my neighbors happy. I dim my lights at around 8 pm and try to avoid bright light exposure after that. The only light that is still turned on in my home after 9 pm is a weak red light in my bedroom. Of course, I sleep in a complete darkness as well. Now, when it comes to red light therapy, I currently don't have any such therapy lights at home, since I'd first like to see more long-term studies of such lights. But eventually, I may get one as well. Now, using lights is one way to boost your cognition. But are there any other ways to do it? Absolutely. Watch my next video up here. Thank you guys for watching and I hope to see you soon again. Stay well.