Blue Light Glasses Benefits for Sleep and Energy
September 3, 2024 • 5:30 PM
You know that feeling when you’re exhausted but just can’t seem to fall asleep? That might be your late afternoon coffee — or it might be something else entirely.
Nowadays we spend far more time on digital devices like laptops and smartphones than ever before. And all that screen time is bound to affect us.
Let’s look at what blue light is and whether or not it’s harmful. We’ll also explore some benefits of blue light glasses, including what they can and can’t do for you. Then you can decide for yourself if you need blue-blocking glasses in your life.
What Is Blue Light?
Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum, with a short wavelength of 380-500 nanometers. We’re surrounded by sources of blue light every day — it comes from the sun, computer screens, televisions, tablets, and any fluorescent lights or LED lights.
In some ways, high-energy blue light can be good for you. It promotes alertness, boosts your memory and mood, and improves cognitive function. That’s all good stuff — during the day when you’re working and want to be on top of your game.
On the other side of the equation, there’s been a lot of talk about the harmful effects of blue light exposure on your eye health, including potentially damaging your retinas or causing eye diseases like cataracts or macular degeneration. The research into this is still ongoing.
What we know for sure, though, is that getting too much blue light at night isn’t good for us. Prolonged exposure to blue light suppresses melatonin production — and melatonin is the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle (also known as your circadian rhythm). That’s why if you work on your computer or watch TV late at night, your sleep quality suffers. You may struggle to fall asleep or manage to get to sleep but then keep waking up.
The Benefits of Blue Light Glasses
You might think that not sleeping well isn’t such a big deal, but it has a chain reaction of effects.
For example, it impacts your ability to think straight, affects your memory, and shortens your attention span. On the emotional side, it can trigger anxiety and stress, potentially leading to depression or mental illness in the long term. And it reduces your energy levels and impairs your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to illness.
Beyond that, sleep deprivation has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and many other chronic health problems.
Worried yet? It seems pretty overwhelming.
Luckily, a simple pair of blue light glasses benefits your sleep — and, by extension, your health.
Blue light filtering glasses are designed to limit the amount of blue light coming your way, allowing melatonin to do what it’s supposed to and regulate your sleep patterns.
Blue light lenses come with either clear lenses or lenses with a tint, depending on how they’re made, and they can be non-prescription, so you can wear them even if you don’t need regular eyeglasses. They can also be an add-on to prescription glasses.
Do Blue Light Glasses Work to Reduce Digital Eye Strain?
While blue light glasses’ benefits include better sleep and, as a result, better general health, the evidence suggests that what they don’t do is address digital eye strain.
Digital eye strain — or computer vision syndrome (CVS) — is the result of spending long periods of time focusing on an electronic device while dealing with the glare from the screen — and not blinking enough.
Some symptoms include:
- Dry eyes
- Red eyes
- Watery eyes
- Itchy eyes
- Eye fatigue
- Eye pain
- Blurred vision
- Migraines
If you’re suffering from digital eye strain, blue-light-blocking glasses may reduce the glare slightly, but they’re not the solution. However, there are a few other simple things that can help:
- Try to blink more often, and if need be, use eye drops to keep your eyes moist.
- Apply the 20-20-20 rule: Take a break every 20 minutes or so to change your focus from your digital screen to something about 20 meters away for 20 seconds.
- Get an anti-glare screen to ease the stress on your eyes.
It’s also worth visiting your optometrist to check if you need contact lenses or computer glasses. While reading glasses and distance glasses help you see close and far away, respectively, computer glasses help you see clearly in the middle distance — which is where your computer probably is.
If you’re suffering from age-related presbyopia too and struggle to read anything close to you, an ophthalmologist may recommend progressive lenses for your computer glasses. These updated bifocals have a bottom section that helps you see clearly when you read and a top section for focusing on your computer in the middle distance.
Do You Need To See a Doctor for Digital Eye Strain?
If you’re experiencing the above symptoms regularly and aren’t finding relief, a visit to your eye doctor might be worth it. An eye care professional can help you determine whether you need any vision correction in the form of glasses or contacts, and they can also thoroughly examine your eyes to see if any underlying issues are making them uncomfortable.
Eye strain is a very common issue, especially in the digital age. However, it can be a sign that something deeper is wrong. Conditions like diabetes and hypertension can cause eye issues, and these conditions have serious risks if not managed properly. If you have any eye problems that coexist with a diabetes or high blood pressure diagnosis, let your eye doctor know.
So, When Should You Wear Blue Light Glasses?
You’ll benefit from blue light glasses most if you spend a lot of time in the evening on any of these activities:
- Watching TV
- Using your smartphone
- Reading on your tablet
- Working on your computer
- Playing video games
In these cases, investing in some blue-blocking lenses could dramatically improve your sleep and your health.
In addition, you should wear blue light glasses 24/7 if high screen use is common for you. For example, if you work on a laptop or desktop computer, consider making a pair of glasses with blue light-filtering lenses your primary eyewear. That way, you won’t have to swap out your blue light glasses for another pair whenever it’s time to log off for the day.
We also recommend wearing blue light glasses throughout the day if you want to improve your sleep. There’s no harm in wearing blue light-filtering lenses all the time, and they can be extremely helpful if you have trouble winding down before bed.
Where To Buy Blue Light Blocking Glasses
If you don’t need a prescription and aren’t too worried about quality, you can pick up a pair of glasses with blue light lenses from many major retailers.
If you need prescription lenses, though, or you care about quality and how your eyewear looks, you’ll get the best blue light glasses benefits from a professional eyewear retailer like Pair Eyewear.
Pair Eyewear has a unique concept that allows you to virtually try on a range of Base Frames to find the one that best suits your face. Then you get to add as many of our beautifully designed Top Frames as your heart desires. Top Frames are extremely light and clip magnetically to the Base Frame, so you can quickly swap them out when you want to change your look on the fly.
With a huge variety of Top Frame styles, from Classic Designs to Limited Editions or art, sports, and movie collabs, you’re sure to find a look you love for every occasion.
We offer non-prescription glasses as well as reading glasses, single-vision, and progressive lenses, and you can choose to add on:
- Blue light filters to protect your eyes for online work
- Responsive lenses which automatically darken as the light around you brightens
- Ultra-thin premium plus lenses, which we recommend if you need a strong prescription
Pair lenses are made from hard-wearing polycarbonate and they come with UV protection and an anti-reflective coating to help reduce any glare further — at no extra cost.
Protect your eyeglasses on the move with a Glasses Case. And if you have several pairs of Top Frames, keep those extras safe in your purse with a Top Frame Case.
How To Style Blue Light Glasses
Blue light glasses serve an essential purpose, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be stylish and on-trend. All of our glasses are available with blue light-filtering lenses, and we offer plenty of fashionable frames that can fit any personality and style.
To find the right frames for you, start by evaluating your look. Once you have a clear picture of the aesthetic you want to go for, it’s much easier to find the perfect pair of glasses. Our frames range from classic and timeless to more modern and new-fashioned, and you can use our virtual try-on feature to give each option a test drive.
Once you’ve picked out your dream pair of glasses, the best way to style them is with help from our magnetic Top Frames. Stylish and easy to use, these magnetic accessories attach seamlessly to your base pair of glasses to create a new look. Our Top Frame collection includes one-of-a-kind patterns, including many inspired by franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter.
Take Advantage of Blue Light Glasses Benefits
Blue light is a high-energy form of visible light that has positive effects on your brain and your mood during the day. However, too much exposure at night can interfere with your sleep and wake cycle, leaving you feeling tired and groggy in the morning, and affecting your health in many other ways.
Blue light glasses benefits include blocking much of that blue light so melatonin production can happen normally. Get a pair of blue-light blockers from Pair Eyewear today — and protect your sleep, your health, and your quality of life.
Sources:
Blue Light Facts: Is Blue Light Bad For Your Eyes? | All About Vision
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) | Johns Hopkins Medicine
Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm | PubMed
Sleep Deprivation | Cedars-Sinai
Evening wear of blue-blocking glasses for sleep and mood disorders: a systematic review | PubMed
Changes in blink rate and ocular symptoms during different reading tasks | PMC