CLEVELAND - A sleep specialist at Cleveland Clinic is weighing in on whether popular sleep products like blue light filtering glasses and magnesium supplements actually help people sleep better.

Brian Chen, MD, a sleep specialist at Cleveland Clinic, said blue light filtering glasses don't fully solve the problem of staying awake at night.

"Blue light is not good in terms of helping us feel sleepy. But not only blue light, but light in general of a certain intensity is going to make us feel awake. So, the glasses filter out the blue light. You have those settings on your phone as well and various other screens, even on your TV," Chen said. "But still, the light is going to keep you awake."

Chen said besides the light, the type of content being watched can also disrupt sleep, which is why it's best to turn off all electronics about two hours before bed.

He said this helps the brain wind down for the night and that reading, doing a puzzle or finishing up chores around the house are good alternatives. The key, he said, is to do something relaxing.

Chen said a lot of people also ask him about sleep supplements like magnesium glycinate.

"Magnesium is a really popular medication to use to help people fall asleep. It does make people feel relaxed. It can relax your muscles and that can help you feel relaxed to fall asleep. It's not been proven to work in large studies of many, many people. It's not tried and true, and it doesn't work for everybody," he said.

Chen said that many people don't get enough magnesium in their diets, "so, it's not really hurting to take a little bit more magnesium, kind of replace what we naturally don't get in our diet."

Chen added that sleep supplements are not FDA-approved, so it's important to keep that in mind before buying any. He said it's best to consult with a physician if there is ongoing trouble sleeping.