Does it seem like everyone is talking about blue light these days? There’s a reason for it. If you’re reading this on one of your screens (smartphone, laptop, tablet), you’re exposing your eyes to blue light now, though that might be a bit simplified.
Blue light is just one color on the light spectrum that we’re exposed to on a daily basis.
Even the sun and indoor lights have some level of blue light, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to manage it.
But back to the screens for a minute. As we spend more time staring at monitors, iPads, and smartphones, we increase the amount of blue light we’re exposed to — and that’s where blue light filtering glasses might help.
What is blue light anyway?
For starters, blue light doesn’t actually appear blue to the naked eye.
“Blue light is the portion of the visible light spectrum with the shortest wavelengths (400 to 500 nanometers or nm) and with the highest energy, hence it is often referred to as high-energy visible (HEV) light,” according to Dr. David Friess, OD..
The eye does not block blue light well. The cornea and lens block UV rays from reaching the back of the eye (the retina). Blue light passes through these structures and can reach the retina.
Blue light exposure may increase the risk of macular degeneration and does contribute to digital eye strain.
“There are also two primary domains of blue light highlighted,” Friess says. One kind of blue light damages cells of the retina, while other blue light affects our wake/sleep cycle."
This “good” blue light “appears to contribute to physical and emotional health,” he says.
What does blue light do to your eyes?
Blue light is everywhere, and it can throw off our natural body clocks.
“We get constant exposure to blue light from ambient sunlight, computer screens, tablets and mobile phones,” said Dr. Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, founding director of Southern California Eyecare and Vision Research Institute.
“The brain associates blue light as daytime, so if a person is exposed to blue light for long periods of time during the night, blue light makes it more difficult for us to fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning,” Varma said.
While there’s no definitive information on the exact amount of blue light you can be exposed to before showing serious side effects, “long-term exposure to screen light can have some intense serious side effects,” said Caroline Dubreuil.
“Headaches, disorientation and loss of sleep are just the start of it” said Dubreuil.
Benefits of blue light eyeglasses
All that screen time may be causing digital eye strain.
“There are many causes for eye strain,” said Dr. Raj K. Maturi, MD, a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Blue light is just one of them.”
Maturi said being too close to your screen doesn’t help: “We strain our eye muscles when looking at such a close targetDoes it seem like everyone is talking about blue light these days? There’s a reason for it. If you’re reading this on one of your screens (smartphone, laptop, tablet), you’re exposing your eyes to blue light now, though that might be a bit simplified.
Blue light is just one color on the light spectrum that we’re exposed to on a daily basis.
Even the sun and indoor lights have some level of blue light, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to manage it.
But back to the screens for a minute. As we spend more time staring at monitors, iPads, and smartphones, we increase the amount of blue light we’re exposed to — and that’s where blue light filtering glasses might help.
What is blue light anyway?
For starters, blue light doesn’t actually appear blue to the naked eye.
“Blue light is the portion of the visible light spectrum with the shortest wavelengths (400 to 500 nanometers or nm) and with the highest energy, hence it is often referred to as high-energy visible (HEV) light,” according to Dr. David Friess, OD..
The eye does not block blue light well. The cornea and lens block UV rays from reaching the back of the eye (the retina). Blue light passes through these structures and can reach the retina.
Blue light exposure may increase the risk of macular degeneration and does contribute to digital eye strain.
“There are also two primary domains of blue light highlighted,” Friess says. One kind of blue light damages cells of the retina, while other blue light affects our wake/sleep cycle."
This “good” blue light “appears to contribute to physical and emotional health,” he says.
What does blue light do to your eyes?
Blue light is everywhere, and it can throw off our natural body clocks.
“We get constant exposure to blue light from ambient sunlight, computer screens, tablets and mobile phones,” said Dr. Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, founding director of Southern California Eyecare and Vision Research Institute.
“The brain associates blue light as daytime, so if a person is exposed to blue light for long periods of time during the night, blue light makes it more difficult for us to fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning,” Varma said.
While there’s no definitive information on the exact amount of blue light you can be exposed to before showing serious side effects, “long-term exposure to screen light can have some intense serious side effects,” said Caroline Dubreuil.
“Headaches, disorientation and loss of sleep are just the start of it” said Dubreuil.
Benefits of blue light eyeglasses
All that screen time may be causing digital eye strain.
“There are many causes for eye strain,” said Dr. Raj K. Maturi, MD, a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Blue light is just one of them.”
Maturi said being too close to your screen doesn’t help: “We strain our eye muscles when looking at such a close target.”
Late-night screen time throws off sleep patterns, because blue light affects melatonin (the sleep hormone) levels…
How? Decreased light at night signals the body to generate sleep hormones like melatonin; However blue light disrupts these signals, and therefore less melatonin is generated.
For some, blue light filtering glasses are a great way to combat the eye strain and sleeplessness that come with excessive screen time. Which is all too common in our modern day world.
How do blue light eyeglasses work?
“Blue light lenses filter out blue light by blocking the transmission of a specific segment or range of wavelengths,” said Dr. Sheri Rowen, MD.
In addition to actual filtering, Rowen says “the lenses are designed to help reduce the occurrence of digital eye strain and avoid circadian rhythm cycle disruption, affecting sleep and overall well-being.”
The blue light lenses are usually a pale yellow tint (if you can see any color at all) and block harmful blue light, while modulating the wavelength impacting circadian rhythm. The darker the glasses, the more blue-light they typically block. Our recommendation is Hypnos Blue-Blocker Glasses. These can be found at https://www.brainandbreath.net/products-2/bt2i98txlsw2aimw5w6butizkax9xq and
Do you need blue light glasses?
Yes. “The average time on devices and in front of screens for adults is pushing 11 hours per day, and as such, our eyes are under a lot of digital light strain,” Rowen said.
Even if you don’t need glasses to see clearly, Dubreuil believes it’s a good idea to always wear blue light blocking glasses when using digital devices.
If you spend a lot of time looking at your phone at night, blue light glasses might help you.
“Digital screens are major sources of blue light, specifically the kind of blue light our bodies use to regulate our sleep,” Dubreuil said.
“Whenever we use our digital devices, especially late into the night, we’re actually telling our brains to keep our bodies awake."
Dubreuil added, “Research shows that wearing light filtering glasses 3-4 hours before bedtime can lead to better and more restful sleep."
Where can you find blue light filtering glasses?
The best first step is to consult with an eye care professional who will help ascertain your needs for protection,” Rowen said.
If you choose to buy blue light glasses online, make sure the lenses block the vast majority of harmful blue light.
The best glasses we have found for this are Hypnos Blue-Blocking Glasses.
Late-night screen time throws off sleep patterns, because blue light affects melatonin (the sleep hormone) levels…
How? Decreased light at night signals the body to generate sleep hormones like melatonin; However blue light disrupts these signals, and therefore less melatonin is generated.
For some, blue light filtering glasses are a great way to combat the eye strain and sleeplessness that come with excessive screen time. Which is all too common in our modern day world.
How do blue light eyeglasses work?
“Blue light lenses filter out blue light by blocking the transmission of a specific segment or range of wavelengths,” said Dr. Sheri Rowen, MD.
In addition to actual filtering, Rowen says “the lenses are designed to help reduce the occurrence of digital eye strain and avoid circadian rhythm cycle disruption, affecting sleep and overall well-being.”
The blue light lenses are usually a pale yellow tint (if you can see any color at all) and block harmful blue light, while modulating the wavelength impacting circadian rhythm. The darker the glasses, the more blue-light they typically block. Our recommendation for this is Hypnos Blue-Blocking glasses. These can be found at https://www.brainandbreath.net/products-2/bt2i98txlsw2aimw5w6butizkax9xq and
Do you need blue light glasses?
Yes. “The average time on devices and in front of screens for adults is pushing 11 hours per day, and as such, our eyes are under a lot of digital light strain,” Rowen said.
Even if you don’t need glasses to see clearly, Dubreuil believes it’s a good idea to always wear blue light blocking glasses when using digital devices.
If you spend a lot of time looking at your phone at night, blue light glasses might help you.
“Digital screens are major sources of blue light, specifically the kind of blue light our bodies use to regulate our sleep,” Dubreuil said.
“Whenever we use our digital devices, especially late into the night, we’re actually telling our brains to keep our bodies awake."
Dubreuil added, “Research shows that wearing light filtering glasses 3-4 hours before bedtime can lead to better and more restful sleep."
Where can you find blue light filtering glasses?
The best first step is to consult with an eye care professional who will help ascertain your needs for protection,” Rowen said.
If you choose to buy blue light glasses online, make sure the lenses block the vast majority of harmful blue light.
Again, the best glasses we have found for this are Hypnos Blue-Blocking Glasses.
