Blue Light Glasses

There’s been a lot of talk over the last few years about blue light glasses, but do they actually work? Especially now that so many of us are working from home, a lot of patients are wondering whether blue light glasses are something that they need with all the extra screen time they’ve been doing. Ultimately, blue light glasses really come down to personal preference. Let’s take a look at what blue light is, and what the glasses do to help you decide whether the glasses are something you want to try. 

What is blue light?

Electronic screens, no matter how big or how small, emit a wavelength of light that is similar to the blue light emitted by the sun. Now that being said, the sun is by far the largest source of blue light and no screen can emit an amount of blue light that even comes close to that emitted by the sun. The blue light emitted from the sun is what controls our circadian rhythms, this is what tells our lizard brains when to wake up and when to sleep. Blue light (not your morning coffee) is what stimulates our brains to wake up and get going. Despite screens emitting less blue light than the sun, a screen can still emit enough blue light to disrupt this circadian rhythm which is why it is advised to shut off screens at least an hour before bed and to use the night-mode screen setting in the evenings. 

What are blue light glasses?

Blue light glasses are either prescription or non-prescription glasses with a coating on them that reflects blue light. Consequently they will often make things look slightly more yellow, similar to the night-mode setting on a screen. 

Are blue light glasses good for your eyes?

Blue light glasses are touted as preventing damage to the eyes from screen use. This should be taken with a grain of salt. There is currently no evidence that the blue light from screens causes harm to our eyes. Remember that blue light differs from harmful UV light responsible for ocular diseases like cataracts, macular degeneration, and cancer. It is also important to note that in all of human history it is not until very recently that we have used screens to the extent that we currently do, and more time and research is needed to determine if there are any links between screen use and eye health. So to answer the question, blue light glasses are not good for our eyes but they are also not bad for our eyes. Which leads to the next question….

Should I try blue light glasses?

If you find yourself struggling to sleep after a long day staring at a screen it might be worth trying blue light glasses. The blue light glasses will reduce the amount of blue light reaching your eyes, which will in turn be less disruptive to your circadian rhythms and make it easier to fall asleep. Though a similar effect can be achieved by using night-mode enabled screens and by shutting off screens well before bed time. Some people find the softer yellow tint the glasses offer more pleasant to look through while working on a screen, so if you like night-mode on your cell phone but your work computer won’t allow night mode you might find a pair of blue light glasses beneficial. Just remember that if you’re doing anything that requires colour rendering the blue light glasses will make everything appear more yellow and are not a good option. 

Ultimately there’s no harm in trying blue light glasses or opting for the blue light coating on your next pair of prescription glasses. Non-prescription blue light glasses are fairly inexpensive and the blue light coating on prescription eyewear is only a couple dollars more, so it’s a low cost investment to try them out. You might find you like them or you might find they make no difference, but rest assured that either way there is no evidence that it will impact your long term eye health. If you want to know more about visual device use and eye health book an appointment to talk to our optometrist!