In this age of modern technology, people spend more than 8 hours staring at their computer screens or phones. Studies show that an average office worker spends at least 1,700 hours per/year. All that screen time we get exposed to comes with various negative effects on our mind and body, like insomnia, eye strain, and headaches. A number of people suffer from symptoms of digital eye strain (DES), caused by staring at the screen for extended hours without breaks.
Blue light is not that bad. It is beneficial during the day because it boosts attention and mood. What is bad is the artificial blue light. Luckily, you can pick a pair of blue light blocking glasses to protect yourself. Blue light blocking glasses have gained popularity as the best way to eliminate DES and help you sleep better.
What is blue light blocking glasses?
Blue light blocking glasses are glasses that have filters in their lenses that block or absorb blue light and UV light from penetrating through. Blue light blocking glasses are also commonly known as computer glasses. These glasses are meant to be worn especially if you are going to spend extended time in front of the screen. At night, these glasses help reduce exposure to blue light waves that keep us awake. Additionally, they promote better sleep quality and mood.
Blue light blocking glasses stand as the perfect alternative for those who have jobs that require them to spend hours on their computer screens.
Best ways to test your blue light blocking glasses
There is a number of blue light blocking glasses on the market all claiming to block and reduce blue light waves. Unfortunately, there are some retailers selling fake blue-blocking glasses purporting them to be original blue light blocking glasses. Additionally, trying to prove and determine if the blue light blocking glasses work can prove to be a hard task. Therefore, I have listed some of the ways that you can use to test your blue light blocking glasses.
- To test your blue light blocking glasses, look at picture squares with 3 colors. That is black, blue and green. If you see a black square in the first picture then your glasses block blue light. However, if you see a black square in the second image then your glasses block both green and blue light.
- You can test the glasses before buying, by requesting for a transmitter spectrum of the product. This is a graph that shows the percentage of light passing through the blue light filter. Wavelengths between 380nm and 470nm are high energy blue light. You have to strike a balance by using glasses that block just enough blue light. The best will be those that filter less blue light that is below 40nm wavelength.
- You can compare the two-color spectra. The two-color spectra should appear different if your monitor can display RGB. But if you are wearing blue light blocking glasses, the two spectra should appear very similar. That is because true blocking glasses filter out 90% blue light.
In conclusion, we spend our entire life’s staring at screens be it at work or at home. Blue light blocking glasses are a must-have. There make a big difference as they filter and block out some of the blue light that can potentially harm our eyes. To ensure their effectiveness l recommend you test them first.