Blue light is part of the visual light spectrum that our eyes can see. It plays an important role in regulating your sleep cycle and can affect your mood and overall alertness. However, prolonged exposure to blue light can also lead to things like eye strain and disrupted sleep.
Although there are several sources of blue light, it’s interesting to know that this type of light can come from digital screens like smartphones, tablets, and computer screens, too.
This can be really concerning if your child spends a lot of time in front of their computer or tablet. Whether it’s for school work or entertainment, it raises the question of what you can do to reduce the effects of blue light on your child’s eyes. Well, it’s simple: Blue light glasses.
In this guide, we’ll discuss whether or not children should wear blue light filtering glasses, if they really work, and some alternatives for children who refuse to wear glasses.
Do Kids Need Blue Light Glasses?
Blue light glasses are designed to block blue light from penetrating the eyes – or at least, lessen the effects of blue light exposure over time. Since children use digital devices more than ever before (including for entertainment and education), it’s essential to consider how this could impact their eyesight.
Therefore, it may be a good idea to buy blue light-blocking glasses to help prevent your child from unnecessary, harmful blue light when using their devices. Doing so can protect their eyes, improve sleep quality, and boost their overall well-being in everyday life.
The potential effects of blue light on children’s eyes
Without any protection, children’s exposure to blue light, especially when it is prolonged, could have detrimental (and in some cases, long-lasting) effects on their eyesight. Blue light can also contribute to computer vision syndrome (CVS).
Computer vision syndrome and its effects include things such as:
- Digital eye strain: If your child spends a lot of time in front of a screen, they could experience digital eye strain. This could lead to symptoms like dry eyes, blurred vision, and headaches. Usually, the discomfort comes from prolonged focus on digital screens, leading to this type of eye fatigue.
- Disrupted sleep patterns: Exposure to blue light, particularly in the evenings, can interfere with the production of melatonin. This hormone is important for regulating sleep. This means that too much screen time before bed can affect your child’s ability to fall asleep and their sleep quality overall.
- Retinal damage: High-energy blue light emitted from screens can penetrate deeply into the eye. As a result, it can cause damage to the retinal cells over time. While the extent of this risk is still being studied, there are concerns about the cumulative effect of blue light from digital screens.
- Increased risk of myopia: According to certain studies, there is a possible link between excessive screen time and near-sightedness (myopia) in children. It has been suggested that blue light exposure and near-work activities (like reading on screens) can contribute to the onset or progression of myopia.
- General eye discomfort: Children may potentially experience general eye discomfort when using digital devices too often, including eye fatigue and irritation. As a result, their discomfort could affect their academic performance and well-being.
Do Blue Light Glasses Really Work?
Yes, blue light glasses are designed to filter blue light from digital devices and screens to reduce the amount of exposure to the eyes. Generally, blue-blocking glasses work particularly well if your child has shown signs of eye strain. They’re also helpful for eye sensitivity when using devices since they can help ease eye discomfort.
While blue light glasses filter only a portion of the amount of blue light emitted from these screens, they can still boost eye health. This is because they work as a barrier to protect the eyes from overexposure to this kind of light. With a blue light filter, your child can use their electronics for longer periods without nasty side effects like dry eyes or headaches.
It’s safe to say that blue light glasses do work, but only to an extent. If you want to protect your child’s eyes even more, limiting screen time is an excellent idea whenever possible.
For example, allowing your child to complete their schoolwork on their laptop or tablet is necessary. However, you can limit their screen time when it comes to things like entertainment to keep their eyes in good health.
Alternatives To Blue Light Glasses
There are a few alternatives to using blue light glasses if your child outright refuses to wear them. Still, if you use these alternatives in conjunction with blue light filtering glasses, your child is going to benefit even more. In fact, they may not feel any eye discomfort at all!
Manage screen time
When your child uses their devices, try to get them to follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, they should look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds or more. This will help to reduce the risk of eye strain.
Additionally, reducing the amount of screen time your child has can be just as helpful. This is especially true before bedtime since too much screen time before bed can disrupt their sleep and affect their sleep quality.
Having a screen time management system is also a good way to get your child back-to-school ready.
Adjust the settings on their devices
Most devices have built-in settings, like Night Shift on iPhone or Night Mode on Android devices. Using these modes can help reduce the amount of blue light emitted from the screen. Alternatively, you can lower the brightness of your child’s electronics and increase the contrast.
Making these changes and using blue light glasses can help reduce your child’s exposure to blue light. Plus, it lowers the risk that they’ll experience eye strain.
Use screen filters
Did you know that you can buy blue light screen filters for your child’s computer screen or tablet? These filters block some blue light from reaching their eyes. This is especially helpful for younger children who may find blue light glasses uncomfortable.
Still, if you can get your child to wear glasses with blue light lenses, their eyes can really benefit from the additional protection.
Switch up the environment
There are a couple more changes you can make in your child’s environment to protect their eyes. For instance, ensuring the room they’re in is well-lit reduces the amount of light contrast between the screen and the room. Ideally, they should avoid using their devices in dark or dimly lit rooms.
Another good practice to implement is to position their screen around 25 inches away from their eyes. The screen should also be slightly below their eye line to reduce strain on their eyes.
Verdict: Should You Buy Blue Light Glasses For Your Child?
Absolutely! Buying blue light glasses for your child is a worthwhile investment. Given the increasing amount of time that children spend using digital devices, blue light glasses can help mitigate certain issues. These include strained or tired eyes, discomfort, and disrupted sleep patterns.
A great pair of glasses, like the Carver, is also available in prescription and non-prescription versions. This allows you to buy something that suits your child’s individual needs.
It’s important to remember that blue light glasses aren’t a cure-all and should be part of a plan to reduce screen time. However, they do offer a practical way to add to this plan. This is because they reduce the exposure to blue light (and the potential risks associated with overexposure).
FAQs
What are the symptoms of excessive screen time in kids?
Excessive screen time for children can be pretty harmful and may result in symptoms like:
- Eye discomfort or strain
- Dry eyes
- Blurred vision
- Headaches
- Eye fatigue
- Poor posture
- General irritability
- Disrupted sleep or poor sleep quality
Some screen time is unavoidable for children, especially when it comes to their schoolwork. Still, it’s important to manage the amount of time they spend on digital devices outside of this.
Can wearing blue light glasses help with conditions like astigmatism or nearsightedness?
Blue light glasses aren’t a substitute for prescription glasses. If your child needs glasses, blue light-blocking glasses won’t help when it comes to eye conditions like astigmatism or myopia. They can reduce the risk of your child developing these conditions, however, since they can contribute to better overall eye health by minimizing blue light exposure.
At what age should you start wearing blue light glasses?
Your child can start using blue light glasses from the age of six, especially if they spend a lot of time using digital devices. However, these specs are usually recommended for kids over the age of 12 who use their electronics more frequently.
Final Thoughts
A good pair of blue light-blocking glasses can make a world of difference to your child’s experience when using their digital devices. With a little time, your child will easily adjust to the routine of putting their glasses on before they use their electronics. Since they will help with their eye health and overall well-being, these glasses are a great investment for parents everywhere!