How EyeJust founder Gigi Mortimer Celebrates World Sleep Day® 2021

with Amanda Etkind

 

If there’s one thing you shouldn’t skimp on, it's sleep. Not only is sleep essential for giving you the energy you need to go about your daily life, but your sleep habits can also impact your skin health. That’s why, here at Goodhabit, we’re passionate about clocking in a solid eight hours of shut-eye each and every night. While we wax poetic about catching ZZZs all year ‘round, we want to focus on this important topic in honor of one of our favorite holidays, World Sleep Day®. 

If you’re not familiar with World Sleep Day, we’ll get you up to speed. This annual celebration of sleep was founded in 2008 by a group of dedicated healthcare providers and members of the medical community working and studying in the area of sleep medicine and research. This group of professionals saw how little people understood sleep and sleep disorders and hoped to raise awareness on how sleep impacts all aspects of our lives. While the theme each year slightly differs, this year’s theme ‘Regular Sleep, Healthy Future’ is to spread knowledge about the benefits that regular sleep offers. 

To honor World Sleep Day, we’re observing this important day focused on rest with a Q&A from Gigi Mortimer, founder of EyeJust, which is a doctor-tested Blue Light blocking technology + screen protector. Below, you’ll learn more about what inspired Gigi to create EyeJust, how she prioritizes sleep, and all about her nighttime skincare ritual. 

 

What inspired you to create EyeJust? 

As Director of Ideas and Inspiration at Tory Burch and Accessories Design Director at Ralph Lauren, I was focused on creating great designs and simple solutions. It was the combination of my business background and personal interests that led me to create EyeJust Blue Light Blocking Screen Protector.  I wasn't sleeping, my family wasn't sleeping and I discovered that our devices emit blue light, wreaking havoc on our health.  When I understood the staggering stat that device use is at 9+ hours per day, I knew I had to create a product that addressed screen time and its effects on sleep, skin and eyes. I could have created glasses but I opted to embed blue light blocking technology into the screen protector as the first line of defense. 

 

How does blue light affect your sleep? 

Studies from Harvard University and the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine noted that the human brain interprets blue light as day light, which can interrupt the body's circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleepy. By looking at our phones, computers and tablets before going to bed, we are setting ourselves up for a less-than-ideal night’s sleep.

A recent study by SleepScore Labs validated EyeJust as a simple solution for reducing exposure to blue light at night and improving sleep. 71% percent of participants reported getting a better night’s sleep by having EyeJust on their devices. The study also documented that EyeJust helped participants achieve more REM sleep which is crucial for learning, memory, mood and much more.

 

Why do you think it's important to prioritize sleep?

Sleep is critical to our health, both physical and mental. From a physical standpoint, sleep deprivation compromises our immunity, increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and hypertension and impacts our metabolism. Sleep scientists have also noted that lack of sleep affects food choices and we tend to gravitate towards junk food when sleep deprived. The long term effects of lack of sleep are still being studied but there are indications that getting enough sleep could ward off Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes and increase longevity.

Not getting enough sleep also affects our mood, emotions, and how we deal with stress. It also impacts learning which is critical for growing children. If this list doesn’t scare you, I can’t stress it enough that getting a good night’s sleep is critical!

 

How are you celebrating/acknowledging World Sleep Day?

We are celebrating as a team by all getting 8 hours of sleep! We are also providing our community with a great offer and working to spread the word about the positive benefits of sleep.

 

What are some ways you prepare yourself for a good night's sleep?

Power Down: As an advocate for healthy screen time, powering down digital devices by 8:00 p.m. ensures a better night's sleep both physically (by eliminating the blue light which disrupts your sleep) and mentally (by creating boundaries and resting the mind). A good night's sleep means a good day ahead.

Think Positive: Instead of filling my mind with all the things that went wrong during the day before I doze off to sleep, I’m thinking about one positive moment that happened during the day to build confidence.

Doomscroll vs Masterscroll: Instead of mindless doom scrolling on Instagram or viewing TikToks, I am committed to spending time this year learning, by tuning into Blinkist or listening to an inspirational podcast or book I have not read. I am aiming to turn my device into a brain at my fingertips.

 

Does skincare factor into your nighttime ritual?

I’m a big believer in taking care of my skin by avoiding the sun, blocking blue light (which is similar to the sun’s harmful UV rays) and having a nighttime skincare ritual. I’m a big fan of Goodhabit -- a great effective way to turn back the clock on my skin, hydrate and help my skin repair itself overnight. With Goodhabit and EyeJust, I know I am doing everything I can to protect my skin and slow the clock on premature aging.