Benefits of Anti Blue Light Glasses
Curious about what the benefits of anti-blue light glasses are? Let’s talk about it!
Let’s talk about anti-blue light glasses! By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about them, but what are they exactly? Are they necessary? What do they do?
In short, digital screens emit blue light, which can cause eye strain, dry eyes, irritation, and more. Blue light can also mess with your sleep since it has an effect on your circadian rhythm. Why? Well, all light is made of particles that travel in waves that emit different levels of energy. A short wavelength has higher energy than a long one, but all of them make up the electromagnetic spectrum. That being said, we can only see the visible light spectrum… which includes high energy visible blue light. Obviously, most of us can’t just stop using our computers and digital devices, though. Plus, we’re in quarantine – who in their right mind would give up TV right now?! Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help protect yourself from harmful blue light!
Anti-blue light glasses block or filter out the blue light from screens, reduce glare, and protect your eyes from potential damage. While this sounds like an amazing idea, I was still a little skeptical about how well it works/if it’s worth spending a ton of money when I first heard about it, which is why I got this $20 pair instead of a more expensive option. That being said, the next time I need new prescription glasses from Warby Parker, I’m totally going to add blue light filtering. That makes total sense to me!
Here are a few of my favorite styles that you can buy online:
Benefits Of Anti-Blue Light Glasses
Alleviate eye discomfort
Have your eyes ever felt tired from using your computer screen all day? Then you shut your computer and watch tv. And turn an LED light on. And scroll through your phones. Well, all of those things expose us to blue light. Staying away from all electronic devices isn’t realistic at all, but wearing blue light blocking glasses can help diminish the digital eye strain that comes with the technology we all use all the time.
Improve sleep habits
If you’ve ever had trouble falling asleep, I’m sure people have told you to take a break from your phone before you go to bed – and there’s a reason for that! The blue light can actually keep you up because it can mess with your circadian rhythm and prevent the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that helps your body fall asleep. If you can’t avoid looking at your phone or computer close to bedtime, wearing your glasses can help! (Keep scrolling for a few extra tips on this, too!)
Lower your stress
Apparently, blue light can actually stimulate cortisol which can make you feel more stressed… and who needs MORE stress during the work day?! If wearing anti-blue light glasses can help me manage stress better, I’m all about it!
How To Reduce The Effects Of Blue Light
Wear blue light glasses!
Like I said above, I don’t necessarily believe that anti-blue light glasses are a total miracle worker – but something is better than nothing! Just know that there are other things you can do to reduce the effects of blue light, too. (Keep reading! ?)
Reduce blue light on gadgets
On your iPhone or iPad, you can actually alter the temperature of your screen to be warmer, which filters out the blue light. All you have to go is go to Settings > Display & Brightness. After that, tap the Night Shift setting. You can then schedule when you want this to shift. For example, you can schedule it from 9pm to 7am, so you don’t get as much blue light before bed or if you happen to look at your phone in the middle of the night. If you have an android, this article talks about other devices, too! (Apparently there are also some apps with blue light filters, but I haven’t tried those yet.)
Avoid using bright screens at least an hour before bed
While the previous tip is helpful, the best thing you can do is avoid looking at your phone before bed. How many times have we thought “I’ll just scroll until I feel tired”? Yet, scrolling will make your body think it’s NOT tired. So counter productive! To prevent this, I’ve been promising myself not to look at my phone once it’s plugged in for the night. I take a CBD softgel and read a little, before feeling sleepy and turning the light off. All of these things together have improved my sleep quality so much.
Work in natural daylight
Your eyes work best in natural daylight, so it’s best to do the bulk of your work during daytime hours. It totally makes sense, too – think about how much more you strain your eyes to read your computer screen at night vs. in the middle of the day.
Pay attention to your screen time
Now that our phones track our screen time, check in to see how you’re doing. Are you on your phone for WAY more than you actually need to be? Challenge yourself to cut back a little bit each day to reduce your exposure to blue light in at least one category!
Get regular eye exams
I have very poor eyesight so this feels like a no brainer to me, but if you don’t need to renew your contact prescription, I can totally see how this would fall off of your priority list! Even if you have perfect vision, an eye doctor can check for overall eye health, glaucoma, and even other series issues like diabetes, lupus, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and more.
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Do you have anti-blue light glasses? If not, have you thought about trying them?
PS. You might also like my Work From Home Tips, Our Bedroom Upgrade with EasyCare Paint, and My Experience with CBD Oil.
