A few years ago, I noticed that I was getting headaches every afternoon. Eventually, I went to the eye doctor to see if it was caused by a change in my vision. He asked me how much time I spent in front of a computer each day (about eight hours!) and recommended that I start wearing blue light glasses.
Of course, he tried to get me to purchase my glasses from him, but I opted for a cheap pair from Amazon with good reviews instead. After wearing them regularly, I noticed that I wasn’t getting nearly as many headaches in the afternoons as before.
What is blue light?
Blue light is a color on the visible light spectrum, and it has a lot of energy. It comes from a lot of sources, including natural ones like the sun. We used to only absorb blue light through those natural sources, but now we absorb a lot more of it from screens, like your computer, tablet, or phone.
How can blue light glasses help?
Blue light glasses filter out some of the blue light, so you don’t absorb as much. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), blue light glasses aren’t necessary.
But, I’ve noticed that they’ve helped me in two key areas:
- 1. I sleep better. Blue light can suppress melatonin, a hormone that regulates your sleep.
- 2. I have fewer headaches and feel more productive.
Other tips for using your screens safely
Whether you end up getting blue light glasses or not, there are some other things you can to use your computer, tablet, and phone more safely:
- • Take a break about once an hour and walk around for a few minutes.
- • Use the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes you’re using a screen, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
- • Turn off your screens a few hours before you go to bed.
- • Use dark mode whenever possible.
- • Stay at least an arm’s length away from your screens.
