{"id":1602,"date":"2023-04-11T13:31:01","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T17:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.warbyparker.com\/learn\/?p=1602"},"modified":"2026-04-02T03:12:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:12:34","slug":"is-reading-in-the-dark-bad-for-your-eyes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/is-reading-in-the-dark-bad-for-your-eyes","title":{"rendered":"Is Reading in the Dark Bad for Your Eyes?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Reading in the dark won\u2019t damage your eyes. That is, it won\u2019t affect your vision permanently. And if you\u2019ve heard that reading in dim light can cause nearsightedness\u2014well, that\u2019s not true, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But does reading in the dark <em>hurt<\/em> your eyes temporarily? Yes, it can\u2014reading in the dark or in dim light can cause <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/eye-strain-symptoms-and-treatment\">eye strain<\/a>. And this can sometimes \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/why-do-my-eyes-hurt\">hurt<\/a>,\u201d meaning it can cause soreness or other uncomfortable symptoms. Eye strain can also affect your sight while you\u2019re experiencing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, eye strain is temporary and won\u2019t injure your eyes in any lasting way. (If you like to read under the covers late at night, go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re here to shed some light on how reading in the dark can affect your eyes. Read on for some helpful tips on how to avoid eye strain from late-night reading.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Reading in the Dark Can Cause Eye Strain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you consider yourself a night owl, you\u2019re still only human\u2014you don\u2019t have the sharp night vision that owls have. For human eyes, reading in low light is hard work. And like other parts of our body, our eyes get tired if they work hard. This eye fatigue is also known as eye strain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have eye strain, you might get a feeling of heavy, overworked eyes. Other common symptoms of eye strain are headaches, irritated eyes, shoulder or neck pain, blurry vision, and double vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some reasons low light can strain your eyes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In low light, it\u2019s harder for your eyes to focus.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As we age, our vision naturally declines, sometimes more noticeably in low light. This is a condition called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/what-is-presbyopia\">presbyopia<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/what-is-myopia\">Nearsightedness<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/what-is-astigmatism\">astigmatism<\/a> could make reading in dim lighting more challenging.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other untreated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/eye-disorders-and-eye-diseases\">eye conditions<\/a> could aggravate eye strain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People may blink less when the lighting is dim. This can lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/dry-eyes\">dry eye syndrome<\/a> and eye strain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><!-- .entry-content (split for inline block) -->\n\n<section class=\"wp-blocks__banner has-img white\">\n\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/smiling-optometrists-cta.jpg\" alt=\"Persistent eye strain?\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-blocks__banner-img\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Persistent eye strain?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Your optometrist can check for any underlying issues and give you expert treatment advice.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-blocks-banner__cta-links\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/appointments\/eye-exams\/booking\">Make an appointment <svg id=\"aa495747-7767-4ea8-bc8e-3e09f9e2a480\" data-name=\"Layer 1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 5.5 9.5\"><path d=\"M5.49,4.61a.87.87,0,0,1,0,.32.73.73,0,0,1-.2.35l-4,4A.75.75,0,0,1,.22,8.22L3.69,4.75.22,1.28A.75.75,0,0,1,1.28.22l4,4A.75.75,0,0,1,5.49,4.61Z\" style=\"fill:#1050D0;fill-rule:evenodd\"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"entry-content\"><!-- (reopen for inline block) -->\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What About Reading on a Screen?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a phone, iPad, Kindle, or other electronic devices might seem like a great way to read in the dark. After all, the light is built right in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But reading on a digital device in the dark can cause eye strain too. Looking at a bright screen in dim light is difficult work for your eyes. It forces your eyes to adjust between the bright screen and the dark room constantly. This can lead to a specific type of eye strain known as digital eye strain or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/computer-vision-syndrome\">computer vision syndrome<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Avoid Eye Strain From Reading in the Dark<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The easiest way to avoid reading in the dark is rather obvious: Turn on a light. But there are more things you can do to cut down on eye strain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you read on a digital screen, ask a doctor about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/anti-fatigue-lenses\">anti-fatigue<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/eyeglasses\/blue-light\">blue light glasses<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Try making the room you\u2019re reading in a similar brightness to your screen if you\u2019re reading on a digital device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you experience eye strain reading in <em>any<\/em> light (not just in the dark), ask your eye doctor about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/eyeglasses\/reading\">reading glasses<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remember to blink. This lubricates the eyes, which can reduce eye strain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With your doctor\u2019s direction, use lubricating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/eye-drops-for-dry-eyes\">eye drops<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep up with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/how-often-should-you-get-an-eye-exam\">regular eye exams<\/a> to make sure your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/prescriptions\">prescription<\/a> stays current.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Go Ahead and Read, But Heed the Signs of Eye Strain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Eye strain from reading in the dark could temporarily make it difficult to see well, which could be unsafe and uncomfortable. So it isn\u2019t something to ignore. But eye strain isn\u2019t a dangerous condition long term, and it generally fades away when you rest your eyes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/appointments\/eye-exams\/booking\">see a doctor<\/a> if eye strain\u2014from reading in the dark or otherwise\u2014becomes a recurring problem or if the \u201cstrain doesn\u2019t wane\u201d in a reasonable amount of time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading in the dark won\u2019t damage your eyes. That is, it won\u2019t affect your vision permanently. And if you\u2019ve heard that reading in dim light can cause nearsightedness\u2014well, that\u2019s not true, either. But does reading in the dark hurt your eyes temporarily? Yes, it can\u2014reading in the dark or in dim light can cause eye [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":1603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eye-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is Reading in the Dark Bad for Your Eyes? | Warby Parker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Reading in the dark won\u2019t hurt eyes permanently. But it can cause eye strain. Learn more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/is-reading-in-the-dark-bad-for-your-eyes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is Reading in the Dark Bad for Your Eyes? | Warby Parker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Reading in the dark won\u2019t hurt eyes permanently. But it can cause eye strain. Learn more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/is-reading-in-the-dark-bad-for-your-eyes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Warby Parker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-11T17:31:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-02T07:12:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Is-Reading-In-the-Dark-Bad.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1166\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1166\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Austin Tran\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dr. Austin Tran\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Is Reading in the Dark Bad for Your Eyes? | Warby Parker","description":"Reading in the dark won\u2019t hurt eyes permanently. 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