And Why Should You Care?

Blue Light Blocking Glasses are glasses that block blue light. And now you’re thinking “Gee, thank you Captain Obvious”. Sorry I couldn’t resist! But really they are a very simple accessory that do a very simple, and very important job. But first what is Blue Light and why should you care?

What is Blue Light Anyways?

Natural light is full spectrum, which means it is made up of all colours of the rainbow, as well as colours (wavelengths) that we can’t see such as infra-red and ultra-violet. Each wavelength has its own set of different benefits, and disadvantages.

For example, Red Light is being investigated and used around the world as a beauty therapy for all different kinds of skin issues including wrinkles, scars and even alopecia. I had a red-light therapy facial at the most incredible spa in Bali and I can attest that it made my skin glow.

So why is the sky blue?

So what is Blue Light then and why should you care? It’s simple, Blue Light isn’t quite as good for you. Now you do need some exposure to Blue Light for optimal health, since it is an equal component of natural sunlight. In fact, about 1/3 of all natural light is HEV light, or High-Energy Visible (also known as Blue Light). Actually HEV light is why the sky is blue. The age old question answered – you’re welcome! If you like to geek out like I do then I suggest you read this article. It’s really quite fascinating.

Have you ever heard of SAD? Not the emotion, the disorder. Although the two can certainly go hand in hand. SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder. It’s a type of depression that comes on typically in the fall and winter months, when the days are shorter, and our exposure to natural daylight drops. We need daylight to help our bodies produce Vitamin D and to regulate our circadian rhythm – both of which can influence our mood and health. In fact, treatment for SAD typically utilizes white light therapy which has a high amount of HEV blue light waves.

Why is Blue Light Bad?

It’s not that simple. It depends on whether it’s natural or man made, the timing of your exposure and the duration of your exposure to it. Man-made sources of blue light are everywhere! It emanates from our cell phone screens, televisions, computer screens and even the LED lighting in our homes and workplaces.

The problem is when we have too much exposure to man-made Blue Light, especially at night.

Long term excessive exposure to blue light during the day, and especially at night can disrupt our bodies natural circadian rhythm. Actually it’s being investigated as a cause of a lot of issues:

• It reduces the body’s production of melatonin
• It increases the body’s production of cortisol – the stress hormone.
• It can cause eye strain and eye fatigue
• It can cause dry eyes, which can lead to discomfort and even blurry vision
• It can cause headaches and migraines

But Do Blue Light Blocking Glasses Actually Work?

The Jury is still out. Some optometrists believe Blue Light Blocking Glasses are a bandaid solution, and need further research. However a 2017 Harvard University Study showed showed a 58% increase in the production of melatonin just by wearing them.

Melatonin is a hormone that our body produces in response to darkness. Night time melatonin levels are typically 10x higher than our daytime levels. This increase is what signals to our body that it’s time to sleep.  Melatonin levels also tend to be higher in the autumn and winter, when nights are longer, and lower in the summer when nights are shorter.

Melatonin works with the daylight to regulate our circadian rhythm, at the same time our circadian rhythm regulates the production of melatonin. The two go hand-in-hand. Research shows that Blue Light disrupts our circadian rhythm, and significantly inhibits our body’s production of melatonin.

Blue Light also stimulates the production of cortisol – the evil stress hormone. Actually it’s not evil, it’s the hormone responsible for the fight or flight response in our body. However in this day and age we are not evading the occasional predators, we are faced with massive daily stresses. And that already contributes to an over production of cortisol. Add in hours of screen time and you have a recipe for excess stress and a rough nights sleep.

The Benefits of Wearing Blue Light Blocking Glasses

• An increase in night time production of Melatonin
• Improved sleep, even for those with severe insomnia
• Reduced instances and severity of headaches and migraines
• Reduced instances and severity of eye strain and eye fatigue

I wore Blue Light Blocking Glasses for a Month and This is what happened

I was speaking to my optometrist at my last appointment about my headaches and eye strain. I don’t know about you but considering the current state of the world I am spending a lot more time in front of the screen. Not only am I working on this site, but I’m doing conference calls, webinars and video chats to stay in touch with friends. I’m so thankful for technology, but it comes at a price.

I’ve always had migraines, but I started getting these daily afternoon headaches that I just couldn’t shake. What’s worse is that I started to get this aching feeling in my eyes. My eyes are already pretty sensitive – as in I can’t leave the house during the day without sunglasses – but this was extreme. After a few hours of work on the computer it felt like the muscles behind my eyes were swollen and sore. I couldn’t look at the screen anymore, it physically hurt.

So my optometrist asked me how much time I’ve been spending on my phone and computer and what can I say? The world is upside down and video chats, etc are sometimes the only way of staying in touch with people. So yes, I’m on my computer and my phone a lot. Too much if I’m being frank actually.

I miss the days when I worked on cruise ships and my screen time consisted of an hour or two MAX a day. The rest of my time was spent on stage, or out running around the islands in the sun. No SAD for me back in those days.

Anyways, that’s when I was introduced to the effects of Blue Light and Blue Light Blocking Glasses.

So I got myself a cheap ugly pair and the first full day I wore them I noticed I fell asleep a lot faster than usual. Now, I’m a bad sleeper to begin with. I feel like I have the world on my shoulders, and can never seem to quiet my mind to get a good nights rest. But I definitely felt a difference.

After a few days I noticed my headaches had slipped away, and my eyes weren’t aching as much as they used to. That was enough for me! I was hooked. I committed to wearing them anytime I used a screen – be it working on my computer, scrolling through my phone, and even while watching TV.

They’ve been a complete game changer for me. I can get through my work, conference calls, video chats with my friends kids and not have to live off Advil and warm compresses.

Where to buy Blue Light Blocking Glasses

But Erin, can’t I just put “Night Mode” on my cell phone and be ok? Sorry honey, not so fast. While Night Mode may be more comfortable on your eyes in the evening, or in low light situations, it does nothing to reduce the amount of Blue Light that your eyes absorb. So by all means use it, but if you’re like me and more sensitive to the screen then it won’t be enough.

You have several options when it comes to getting yourself some Blue Light Blocking Glasses.  If you wear prescription glasses then you can add a special Blue Light Blocking coating to your prescription lenses. It’s usually around $60 – $80 or so extra.

But you can also buy non-prescription Blue Light Blocking Glasses as well. The first pair I picked up was actually just off the rack and my local grocery store. They were super dumpy looking, with thick square frames but for $20 I thought I would give them a try. I figured it’s a $20 investment in something that may do nothing or may really help me feel better. And if they did help me feel better I could invest in something more stylish down the road.

After a month of wearing my grocery store granny glasses, I decided I’d look into buying a style I’d like to wear. I actually found a super cool pair of Blue Light Blocking Glasses on Amazon. There were hundreds to choose from, but I saw these cool aviators and had to have them. I especially liked that they come with a testing kit to prove they actually do block the blue light.

They come with a blue light laser, and a white testing card. You can shine the blue light laser on the white card, and then shine the light onto the card through the glasses and see the difference. It’s really cool! So if you’re buying online I highly recommend to you buy a pair that come with a similar testing kit so you know have a quality pair.

Have fun searching through all the great styles and let me know in the comments what you think of them. I’d love to hear if Blue Light Blocking Glasses have helped you too.