You probably already know or experienced this: Caffeine boosts alertness and can improve your focus. Now, new research suggests that you could get even better brain benefits and more energy from being exposed to blue light.

We're not sure where you can get a hold of blue lights, but Swedish researchers tested a group of 21 volunteers' psychomotor and cognitive functions under four different conditions: exposed to white light and taking 240mg of caffeine, blue light and 240 mg of caffeine, white light and a placebo, and blue light and a placebo.

The researchers found that both the caffeine-only group (under white light) and the blue light-only group (no caffeine) had better accuracy on a visual reaction test that required making a decision. They also performed faster than the other two groups. Their overall psychomotor function was also better than the other groups.

The blue light-only group did much better than the caffeine group on staying focused and being accurate when faced with different distractions. They also had substantially better visual reaction.

Other research has linked blue light with being more alert during mid-afternoon slump, and even improving brain activity in blind patients.

So get out there and search for those blue lightbulbs, because they might just help you work better.


[PLOSone]