Do Blue Light Glasses Even Work?

We humans love to stare into our smart devices. We gaze for hours —more than 11 hours a day— at our computers, smartphones, tablets and televisions. Not surprisingly, during the coronavirus pandemic, that figure has shot up even more. Is all thisstaring bad for us? It might be, mainly because as we stare at our devices we are exposing ourselves to blue light.

Blue light is a type of electromagnetic radiation with a very short wavelength that produces a high amount of energy. While it's true that light can damage your eyes under certain circumstances, there's no scientific evidence suggesting thatblue lightis harmful to our eyes. But many people still think it is, which is why blue light-blocking glasses are so popular. So do the glasses work?Some people swear by them.

"Everyone is very concerned that [blue light] may be causing damage to the eye, and it's a valid concern, but there's no evidence it may be causing any irreversible damage," Dr. Rahul Khurana, clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmologists, told部siness Insider.

Blue light exposure is nothing new. In fact, thesunis the largest source of blue light. Moreover, blue light is also present in fluorescent and LED light. But if blue light isn't harmful, then why are we constantly rubbing our peepers when we're looking at our screens? The answer is eyestrain: More than60 percent of peopleexperience problems associated with digital eyestrain. And blue light, it seems, isn't the cause. Instead, our eyes are so strained because most of usblink lesswhen we stare at our digital devices.

So if eyestrain is the real issue, blue light-blocking glasses are probably useless. However, wearing them could potentially help you get a good night's sleep. That's because blue light, research has shown, affects your body's circadian rhythm, your natural wake and sleep cycle. According toHarvard researchers, any kind of light — including blue light — can tamp down your body's ability to secretemelatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep. Poor sleep is linked to a whole host of health problems.

Interested in buying a pair of blue-light glasses for yourself or for your kids? You can find them everywhere, from the hipsters at Warby Parker (add them to any frame for $50) toaffordable options onlineor at big-box stores like Walmart.

You also can address your blue light exposure by tweaking your smartphone or tablet's display settings to night shift or something similar, or you can download an app that filters out blue light, too. Lastly, you can purchaseblue light filters for your laptopsor monitors as well, although some buyers complain that these filters can add unwanted reflection.

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