What are blue-light-blocking glasses? Blue-light glasses have special lenses designed to help filter out blue-violet light emitted by digital screens (as well as the sun and other light sources, too). Blue-light-filtering lenses can be used in glasses with or without a prescription.
But what exactly is blue light, and how can blue-light glasses help you? Let’s explore this type of eyewear further to better understand what it’s all about and whether it’s right for you.
What Is Blue Light?
Blue light is one of the seven colors in our visible light spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). Together, all the colors of the visible light spectrum appear to the human eye as white light.
Since white light contains all the colors of the visible light spectrum, you can differentiate the colors of objects. Each color has different wavelengths, which are reflected back to the eye or absorbed. Compared to most of the colors, blue light has short wavelengths and high energy levels.
We’re exposed to blue light both indoors and outdoors. Blue light comes not only from digital screens like computer screens, cellphones, and tablets but also from the sun and other light sources, such as fluorescent bulbs.
Some sources show that blue light can be beneficial during the daytime and positively affect your awareness, response time, and cognitive performance. However, too much screen time at night may have an adverse effect, interrupting your circadian rhythm or sleep-wake cycle.
So, is there a benefit of blue-light glasses, and do they actually work? Let’s explore.
What Are Blue-Light Glasses Good For?
Research surrounding the effectiveness of blue-light glasses and whether blue light is harmful is ongoing and not always consistent from source to source. However, staring at digital screens for long periods can cause discomfort to your eyes and lead to symptoms like blurry vision, dry eyes, a headache, and watery eyes. This happens because staring at screens without taking breaks causes you to blink less than is normal, reducing eye moisture.
While studies vary on the effects of blue-light glasses, wearing them may help with eye strain, quality of sleep, and underlying headaches. We’ll explore these points below.
What Do Blue-Light Glasses Help With?
Some studies support the claim that blue-light glasses help alleviate eye strain. For instance, one study showed that wearing blue-light-filtering lenses lessened symptoms of eye strain in participants. Symptoms reported in this study included eye pain, heaviness, and itchiness.
Researchers have also indicated that wearing blue-light glasses when using device screens at night can help with falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting a more restful night’s sleep. This is because blue light impacts circadian rhythms by decreasing the body’s natural production of melatonin, a hormone that helps us sleep.
So, if you’re a late-night phone scroller or tablet reader, wearing blue-light glasses could improve your quality of sleep.
Eye strain and too much screen time are also triggers for underlying migraines and headaches, which means wearing blue-light-filtering lenses may help with these issues.
Are There Any Disadvantages to Blue-Light Glasses?
While there are no major drawbacks to wearing blue-light glasses, it may take some time to gather substantial scientific evidence on how blue-light glasses can support us in our everyday lives.
Computer Glasses vs. Blue-Light Glasses
Blue-light glasses are commonly referred to as computer glasses, but not everyone uses these terms interchangeably.
The purpose of blue-light glasses is strictly to filter out blue light. They can be useful with or without a prescription. They don’t solely pertain to computer work, either, because blue light can come from other sources.
On the other hand, computer glasses are specifically designed for individuals who spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen and typically require a prescription. These glasses are often outfitted with anti-fatigue lenses, which help eyes focus on the up-close screen for extended periods.
Many computer users choose to combine blue-light-filtering with anti-fatigue lenses because both can be helpful for long days of screen work.
Do I Need Blue-Light Glasses?
If you regularly spend a lot of time on a computer or looking at digital screens (and especially at night), wearing blue-light glasses may be something to consider. If you have any questions relating to your eye health, you should discuss them with your eye doctor.
Even though you can buy blue-light glasses without a prescription, it may be wise to ignore the urge to grab a cheap pair off the rack. A comprehensive eye exam can help your optometrist find the best solution for you, as everyone’s circumstances and needs are unique. For instance, you might benefit from the addition of anti-fatigue lenses or have other prescription needs that your blue-light glasses can address.
Tips for Staying on Top of Your Eye Health
While you’re thinking of purchasing blue-light glasses, here are some additional tips for your eye health when using digital screens:
Since staring at digital screens reduces your normal blinking rate to five to seven times per minute, it’s important to ensure you get your daily dose of blinks. Remember: The average blink rate is 15 times per minute.
Spending long periods on the computer can be overstimulating and put too much pressure on the eyes. To help with eye discomfort, try looking up from the screen every 20 minutes at something 20 feet away. Doing this for 20 seconds can help support your eye health.
Your hard work deserves a break. Going for a walk, grabbing a bite, or moving your body can help balance your time in front of the screen.
Moisturize your eyes with artificial tears when your eyes feel dry. Be sure to consult your optometrist to ensure you get a brand that supports your needs.
- Adjust screen brightness and reduce the glare.
Adjust the screen brightness to match the lighting in your environment. When the screen is brighter than your surroundings, it can take a while for your eyes to adapt when looking away. Adding a blue-light screen protector to reduce screen glare may also help with eye discomfort.
Sit at arm’s length or 25 inches away from the screen. You can also adjust your computer so you’re looking slightly downward at the screen rather than upward or directly across.
