Imagine this: After a long day, you’re finally settling into bed preparing for slumber. But for some reason, your mind seems to still be active and you can’t quite drift away. Even though you think all of your lights are off and your curtains are closed, there’s one culprit that’s lighting everything up: the tiny lights on your WiFi router.
Luckily, though, there are removable adhesive stickers that are perfectly sized to cover the lights on your router or other lit-up devices, and you can buy them online.
Yes, those minuscule lights may delay your journey to slumber and cause some sleepless nights. Sanam Hafeez, a New York City-based neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, explained why.
“Although sleep is mainly affected by our natural circadian rhythm or sleep/wake cycle, too much light can impact the quality of our sleep,” Hafeez told HuffPost. “When a WiFi router is on and working correctly, the internet LED is solid white, meaning it’s connected to the internet. It is often the color of the light and its position that impacts sleep quality, instead of the size. Exposing yourself to white light during waking hours of the day has positive effects, as it boosts mood and alertness. However, white light, which also contains blue light, can keep you awake and alert at night.”
All you have to do is peel them off and stick them on whatever lights you find bothersome or distracting, and voila! Better sleep is on the way. The stickers come in two options: those that dim the lights or those that block it completely.
The light-blocking covers have almost 4,000 5-star ratings on Amazon. Check out what reviewers have to say:
“Worked perfectly - great for TV and outlet lights!” — Pepe
“I bought 2 products; complete black out, and a partial black out film. It seems silly to purchase something when you can put black electrical tape or blobs of black liquid electrical tape on every little pilot light in the house, which I’ve done ’til now. But this is so convenient! And the partial black out can dim the bright lights of my clock radio, which is too bright at its dimmest, and my router, where you want to see something but don’t want it reflecting off the walls as you try to sleep! I’ve also used it to block light on medicine bottles that shouldn’t be exposed to light.” — Patricia D.
“Works as advertised, blocks out those annoying lights that can interrupt sleep. I noted some reviews felt it was difficult to remove the stickers off the sheet, but I did not find that to be the case and I have severe arthritis in my fingers. It only took me a few seconds to pry them off, so not a big deal. Well worth the price.” — Priscilla
“Handy when it comes to covering up the little LED lights. Makes a huge impact in creating a dark space.” — LAValentine