People have begun to be concerned about the consequences of blue light generated by the screens we spend so much of our time on, and as a result, they have begun to wear blue light spectacles. These are glasses that contain lenses that partially or fully block short-wave blue light. 

But are these glasses worth all the hype? We’ll find out here. 

What are blue light glasses?

Blue light glasses are glasses that manufacturers claim can filter out blue light from our devices like computers, TVs and cellphones. 

Blue light itself is a short-wave blue light in the spectrum of colors visible to the human eye. Its wavelength is in the blue portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is roughly 400–500 nanometers (nm). Researchers believe that peak light damage occurs roughly at 440 nm.

The purpose of blue light glasses

Manufacturers claim that blue light glasses can prevent blue light from damaging your eyes. According to experts, damage can occur with higher doses of blue light or by prolonged exposure to blue light. 

Since we’re all on our devices so much, scientists say people now have chronic exposure to blue light. This exposure can cause a number of symptoms of chronic eye strain, including:

• Watery eyes

• Dry eyes

• Blurred vision

• Sensitivity to light

• Headaches

• Neck and shoulder pain

• Difficulty concentrating

• Burning eyes

• Itchy eyes

• Hard time keeping your eyes open

Blue light spectacles are supposed to alleviate these symptoms while also possibly improving sleep quality.

Solutions to eye strain

In order to help stave off eye strain, follow the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at an object approximately 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Also, make sure you’re sitting an arm’s length away from the computer screen and tilt it down to reduce glare. 

Room lighting is also an important factor to look into; adjust the lighting so that you’re not staring at a bright screen in a dark room.

Final Thoughts

Whether or not you buy into the hype about blue light glasses, reducing eye strain is very important to restoring comfort and getting better sleep. 

Blue light glasses may help ease the symptoms slightly, so they might be worth buying into.