One of the latest trends in the tech world is blue light glasses. But there are a lot of misconceptions about why they’re a good thing to have. Most people know that they are great for when you spend a lot of time in front of screens.
But others think it prevents eye strain in general. And some people are always wearing their blue light glasses- whether they’re in front of a screen or not. But blue light glasses are actually the best for you when in use at night. Confused as to why?
Don’t worry, you’ll be an expert on blue light filtering glasses by the end of this article:
Why You Need Blue Light Glasses
In the current moment of American culture, everyone is glued to their screens. For work, socializing or entertainment, we are looking at these things far too much. And the real danger of them is the blue light, as our eyes are simply not equipped to handle it this often. Buying these glasses will help you minimize exposure, and protect you from a myriad of factors.
Prolonged screen exposure (especially at night) can really throw off your sleep schedule, making you feel like you don’t have all your bearings.
Harvard Health Publishing had this to say about nighttime blue light exposure:
“Although it is environmentally friendly, blue light can affect your sleep and potentially cause disease. Until the advent of artificial lighting, the sun was the major source of lighting, and people spent their evenings in (relative) darkness. Now, in much of the world, evenings are illuminated, and we take our easy access to all those lumens pretty much for granted. But we may be paying a price for basking in all that light. At night, light throws the body’s biological clock—the circadian rhythm—out of whack. Sleep suffers. Worse, research shows that it may contribute to the causation of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.”
Wow. Who knew it would make that much of a difference? Read on to discover exactly why this happens, and when blue light should and shouldn’t be avoided.
Let’s get into the specifics of how using blue light glasses at night can help you:
Keep a Normal Circadian Rhythm
If you’ve ever had trouble falling asleep at night, it could be due to staring at a screen. While this is not always the case, if you’ve ever looked up how to get rid of insomnia or how to get a good night’s sleep, you know the drill:
One of the hot tips that most anti-insomnia articles touch on is reading in dim light at night instead of staring at screens. This is because that’s an activity and environment the human body works better within at night. There’s several historical and scientific reasons why that is.
There are a couple of factors that play into this:
Suppressed Melatonin Secretion
You know melatonin, right? That sleep hormone that your body produces around bedtime to help you sleep?
Well, blue light is the same kind of light that comes from the sun. So your body gets all confused, thinking that it’s still daytime. So, as a result, it won’t produce the much-needed melatonin that you need to help you sleep. So wearing blue light glasses at night can help keep your sleep patterns regular.
And if you need a little extra assistance, consider taking a melatonin supplement 15-20 minutes before bed to help you out.
Historical Light Exposure
Our ancestors didn’t have screens and light bulbs at night. Most of them fell asleep when the sun went down and got up when the sun rose. And if they did stay up a little late, they enjoyed natural, fire-based orange light sources.
An orange light is a lot dimmer than blue light, so your body handles it better when you’re trying to wind down for sleep.
But of course, our modern society is very different from that. Most of us do not have any set bedtimes. You can stay on the internet or out in the city all night, and then sleep all day. This is exactly the opposite of what the human body has evolved to do, which creates a number of issues regarding sleep and moods. It’s important to do your best to be responsible and regulate sleep yourself.
If you notice that the lights around your house are super bright, blue light glasses at night are great. Or you could also get dimming light fixtures. (Or you could commit to just using candles and fireplaces for your light at night.)
When Is Blue Light Good?
Blue light comes naturally from the sun. So it’s actually good for us to have exposure to during the day. It helps regulate our circadian rhythms and melatonin production. So you’re actually better off with a pair of sunglasses during the day that with blue light glasses.
Science links myopia in children to not spending enough time outside. But plenty of adults also spend too much time indoors. From our houses, friend’s houses, work places, grocery stores, restaurants, and our own cars, the average American rarely ever spends time without a roof over their head. Once again, cheating our bodies out of everything it’s been trained and evolved to do.
So to best regulate your sleep cycles, try and go out in the sunlight and get some vitamin D. Oh, and if you’re living further up north, you may want to get your hands on a vitamin D supplement. Making sure to get enough blue light and vitamin D during the day is not only good for your general health but also your mental health.
For these reasons and more, blue light glasses should be an essential purchase. For as long as the interests of postmodern life go against that of general health, it must be stated that certain protective measures need to be taken. These glasses are just one small way to better yourself, and it shouldn’t be missed.
Interested in more tech content?
