Dean J. Miller's position at Central Queensland University was funded by WHOOP inc.

Central Queensland University in Australia provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

The LED mask is the latest device promoted on social media as a combination of technology and beauty.

A series of celebrities have recognized portable versions of products previously offered in beauty salons. Actress Olivia Munn (Olivia Munn) always carries with her. According to reports, Julia Roberts, Victoria Beckham and Kris Tegan are also fans. This trend has even realized the holy grail of social media-Kardashian's Instagram posts.

But whether they help make your skin glow, our understanding of circadian rhythms suggests that they may disrupt the user’s sleep-wake cycle.

Read more: 6 ways to stop daylight saving time from affecting your child’s sleep

The human body has its own internal clock, which, among other things, helps to control our sleep-wake pattern. This kind of internal clock is affected by many factors, the most effective of which is the light that directly hits the eyes. More specifically, the short-wavelength "blue light" has the greatest impact on the system.

Exposure to this type of light at night has been shown to interrupt the production of melatonin-also known as the "sleep hormone". Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brain and released within 2 hours after your habitual bedtime-ready for sleep. But bright blue light may interrupt this process.

There are many sources of blue light-including our beloved mobile phones, electronic devices, and room lighting in our homes. Although avoiding the use of electronic devices near bedtime has become a common recommendation, the brightness of our mobile phones and tablets does not seem to be sufficient to affect sleep in the case of blue light exposure. In fact, home lighting seems to have a greater impact-probably due to the transition to energy-saving LEDs, "blue" wavelength light.

Last year, Monash University researchers checked the sleep and light conditions of 57 participants and found that nearly half of them used LED lighting to suppress melatonin by 50%. The study also found that those who received more light at night were more awake before going to bed.

Lack of sleep has been shown to increase the likelihood of poor health, including cardiovascular disease.

Read more: Insufficient sleep is very bad for your health. But we have found that exercise can offset some of these harms

LED mask manufacturers say that they are the "future of skin care", and the mask emits light of different wavelengths to target specific skin-related results.

Several devices have been approved by the FDA in the United States and claim to be able to treat acne through the "blue light" mode (the precise wavelength range that may affect melatonin production).

So far, no experimental studies have studied the effects of these devices and their blue light settings on sleep or the body clock. But considering that the device is very close to the user's eyes, and the intensity of the LED bulbs is great, there is reason to worry that they may have an impact on our biological clock.

Sean Cain is a leading scientist researching the effects of light on human health. He created an analogy to provide an insight into artificial light sources. The light we receive from electronic devices can be thought of as a glass of water poured on your head, while household LED lighting is more like a bucket of water. Consistent with this analogy, can LED masks reach the size of bathtubs or swimming pools? Further research can quantify their impact.

Read more: Dozing off the blues? How to use your favorite song as an alarm clock can help you wake up more alert

These concerns are based on mature circadian principles and do not completely rule out the use of these devices. However, for those who use them, it is important to avoid doing so at night-especially under blue light settings.

Ideally, face masks should be used during the day to avoid potential sleep disturbances and/or changes in the body clock. Future research can clarify any negative results related to these devices and may prompt manufacturers to provide recommendations on their usage time.

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