I’d heard of blue light blocking glasses before: They were yellow, ugly, and not worth the laughter I would get from both roommates and coworkers if I wore them regularly. But, I had a problem: For my job, I needed to spend a minimum of eight hours a day staring at a computer screen. Plus, unfortunately, in my downtime after work, I would often find myself staring at another, smaller screen: the rectangle of my iPhone, which would constantly beam more blue light into my face.
As someone who has suffered from insomnia since I was a teen, I knew that the studies saying blue light from screens can disrupt your sleep weren’t just a myth. The problem was, I couldn’t go without my phone, and I couldn’t stop staring at my computer screen. So, I decided to wear blue-light-blocking glasses for a week to see if it would make a difference. Before we get into the details of what I learned, it’s important to understand the difference between white light and blue light.
White light is the combination of all the colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Blue light is a specific colour of the rainbow. It’s not quite as bright as white light, but it’s more stimulating to your eyes and brain than any other colour of the rainbow.
Blue light is everywhere: it’s in the light from the sun and the light from the moon, it’s in your computer screen, and it’s in your TV. (Blue light is also in the light from your cell phone, but there’s not much you can do about that.)
The problem with blue light is that it is particularly disruptive to your circadian rhythms, which is why it has been linked to sleeplessness. Blue light also suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your sleep cycle. So, if you want to get your best night’s sleep, it’s best to limit your exposure to blue light, especially at night.
Blue light blocking glasses have lenses that are tinted with a special coating that blocks out the blue light that your eyes are exposed to. These glasses are designed to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of blue light, which can lead to eye strain and headaches. They are most effective when you wear them while you’re looking at a screen. I Wore one Every Day for a Week — Here’s What I Learned I wore the glasses for a week, and here’s what happened.
Day 1:
I Was Excited to Wear Them When I first put on the glasses, it was like I was wearing a pair of normal sunglasses. They were big, dark, and made me look like an extra from a ’90s movie. I was excited to wear them, and I was excited to see if they would make a difference. But, I was also nervous: I’m a freelance writer, and I work from home. I spend a lot of time on the computer, and I spend a lot of time on my phone. I knew that I was going to be spending a lot of time wearing the glasses, and I was worried that they would make me look like a dork. I was also worried that I was going to get some weird looks from other people on the subway. So, I decided to start wearing them in the morning. I wore the glasses on the subway to work, and when I got to my desk, I put them on and turned on my computer. I looked at the screen, and I couldn’t believe the difference: I got a headache immediately. I felt like I was staring into the sun. I took the glasses off and rubbed my eyes. Then, I put them back on. I was still getting a headache, but I could tell that the screen was easier to look at. I took the glasses off again. Then, I put them on. My headache went away, and I was able to look at the screen without feeling like I was in pain. I stayed at my computer for the rest of the morning, and I didn’t look at my phone once.
I was surprised by how much the glasses actually helped me with my screen time. I had been worried that they would make me look like a dork, but the glasses were actually helping me to not look at my phone.
Day 2:
I Started Using Them All Day On day two, I wore glasses all day. I wore them on the subway, and I wore them when I got to work. I wore them all day, and I was able to look at my screen without getting a headache. So, I decided to do something that I hadn’t done in a long time: I read a book. I was surprised by how much I liked it: I was able to read it without having to take the glasses off.
Day 3:
I decided to wear the glasses to the gym. I wanted to see how the glasses would work in different lighting conditions. So, I wore them while I was on the treadmill and while I was in the weight room. I had to take the glasses off when I was lifting weights, but I was able to wear them for the rest of the time. I was surprised by how much easier it was to read my phone when I was wearing the glasses. I didn‘t have a headache, and I didn‘t feel like I was looking at the sun. The glasses also helped me to concentrate on what I was doing. I was able to focus on my workout and do my exercises without having to take the glasses off.
Day 4:
I wore the glasses more than I had in days prior, but I was still able to take them off when I wanted to. I put them on when I was reading my Kindle, and I put them on while I was on the subway. I took the glasses off when I was doing my makeup, but I put them on again when I was sitting at my desk doing work. I didn‘t feel like I was wearing them all the time, and I didn‘t feel like I was being distracted by them. I put the glasses on when I was doing something that I wanted to focus on, and I took them off when I was doing something else.
Day 5:
I was getting really into the glasses. By day five, I was using them when I was on the subway, when I was at work, and when I was walking around the city. I was feeling happy with the results, and I was feeling like the glasses were helping me.
Day 6:
I was feeling comfortable with the glasses at work. I was able to wear them when I was editing a story, and I was able to wear them when I was doing social media work. I took the glasses off when I was doing my social media work, but, I was able to put them back on when I was working on a story. I kept them on while I was working on my story, and I was able to write without getting distracted. I was able to stay focused on what I was doing, and I was surprised by how much the glasses were helping me to concentrate on my work.
Day 7:
I was able to wear the glasses all day. I wore them on the subway to work, and I wore them while I was sitting at my desk working the entire day and even forgot to take them off during lunch time. By night I took them off for my night sef-care routine and put them on once again for a last bed reading.
For my surprise, after a really intense day of work I had no tired eyesight or light headaches as I used to have before using the glasses. A big win for me 👓
Overall, I was impressed with the glasses. I was able to wear them all day and felt super cute while doing so, even got compliments on my new nerdy look 🤓. I didn‘t feel like I was looking like a dork, and I didn‘t feel like I was being distracted by them. The glasses made it easier for me to stay focused on what I was doing, and I got a lot more work done. I also noticed that my eye discomforts and the light headaches I used to have where gone, I’ll keep noting to see if it was really the glasses or placebo, or any other factor.
I would recommend the glasses to anyone who stays on screens for hours, have constant headaches or insomnia. But buy a good quality glasses otherwise it’s just decoration (not that I don’t like it 🙂
If you‘re interested, you can buy your own pair of blue light blocking glasses here.
