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Blue light blocking glasses is the hottest trend in eyewear. Eyewear companies are selling special glasses, which they claim that these can prevent eyestrain, headaches, dry eyes, and give you a better sleep.
The important question here is that do you need them or not?
And, if these all claims are right or not?
The answer to both these questions is yes as well as no. You need these blue light filtering glasses in some cases while you don’t need them in others. Studies support some of the claims of these companies are correct while others are not.
What is Blue Light?
We know that Blue light is the part of the light spectrum or electromagnetic spectrum. The light spectrum has various types of lights, including high energy visible light known as blue light. The wavelength of blue light ranges from 380-500 nm(nanometers).
What’s the Problem with Blue Light?
Because of its presence in almost all digital devices (LEDs, Computers, and smartphones), blue light was significantly researched.
Scientific studies show that blue light disturbs our circadian rhythm (our sleep-wake cycle, which tells us when it’s time to sleep and wake). These studies suggest that blue light disturbs our circadian rhythm by upsetting the normal production of melatonin (our sleep hormone).
Due to the improper production of melatonin, we are unable to get proper and timely sleep.
Some studies show that blue light damages our eye’s retina. The retina is the innermost layer of our eyes, which is responsible for vision.
Can Blue Light Glasses help you Sleep?
There are a lot of scientific studies that prove that blue light disturbs our sleep cycle or circadian rhythm. That’s why the eyewear companies claim that these glasses help you get better sleep is correct.
What do these glasses do? These glasses prevent blue light emitted from our digital devices like computers, TV, and smartphones. This blockage of blue light helps our body produce melatonin properly, which helps us get better sleep.
Are they Beneficial for Eyestrain, Dry Eyes, and Blurry Vision?
Eyewear companies also claim that these blue light protection glasses help prevent eyestrain, dry eyes, and blurry vision. Although some people, based on their experience, report that these glasses helped them with these conditions, until now, it is not supported by science.
American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) does not support this thing. According to AAO, there is no connection of blue light with eyestrain and dry eyes. They say that eyestrain is caused by overusing our digital devices and is not caused by blue light.
And dry eyes are because of the reason that whenever you use your computer, then you continuously stare at it without blinking. Blinking keeps our eyes moist, and when you don’t blink for a long time, this could cause dry eyes. And Blue light has nothing to do with this.
Many researchers and scientists support this fact that Continuous overexposure to blue light can cause retinal damage.
Should I Buy Them?
Do blue light glasses work or not? It depends on why you want to get them.
If your sleep is disturbed, it will be an excellent decision to buy blue light blocking glasses. Because they will help your body in proper production of melatonin (the sleep hormone) by blocking blue light, and ultimately you will get better sleep.
If you have any issues like eyestrain syndrome, dry eyes, or blurry vision, it is not good to invest in expensive blue light protection glasses. The reason is all the associations of ophthalmology does not support the idea of blue light damaging the eyes.
What should I do for Eyestrain, Dry Eyes, and Blurry Vision?
Instead of investing in expensive blue light blocking glasses, which are of no use in case of eye strain, dry eyes, and blurry vision, you should make some changes in your lifestyle to combat these issues.
- First, try to decrease your screen time.
- Try to adapt the 20-20-20 rule. It means after 20 minutes of screen exposure, look at something natural 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Use special eye drops that are meant for moisturization of eyes. It will help you with dry and irritating eyes.
- Finally, always visit your eye doctor to ensure that you are not suffering from any severe illness.
Anti-blue light glasses are marketed to help in many conditions. But all claims of these companies are not correct. These glasses can help you get better sleep, but they are not meant for eye problems as scientists and organizations don’t support it.