Key Takeaways
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The best time to wear blue light glasses is during screen time to reduce eye strain and blue light exposure.
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Wear them 1-2 hours before bed to support healthier melatonin levels and avoid sleep disruption.
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Don't use them outdoors in natural sunlight, as natural blue light benefits your sleep cycle, especially in the mornings.
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Avoid wearing them while driving at night, since they may reduce clarity in low-light environments.
Staring at screens for hours each day? Unfortunately, it's likely affecting your eyes and sleep.
The solution? Blue light glasses are designed to block high-energy blue light emitted from digital devices and artificial lighting.
They're an incredibly easy and practical solution for reducing eye strain and protecting your sleep quality.
In this article, we’ll discuss when to wear blue light glasses, when not to, and who benefits the most from them.
Understanding Blue Light
Blue light is a type of high-energy visible light found naturally in sunlight and artificially in screens and LED lights.
Natural blue light from the sun can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle, but too much exposure from artificial sources like computers, TVs, and smartphones, especially at night, can disrupt melatonin production (your body’s primary sleep hormone).
Problems arise when too much artificial blue light confuses your body's “clock,” which usually gets its cues from natural changes in sunlight throughout the day.
Effects of Blue Light Exposure on Eyes and Health
Digital Eye Strain
Long hours of screen use can lead to digital eye strain. Common symptoms of this might include:
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Dry and irritated eyes
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Blurry vision that makes it hard to read
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Headaches
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Trouble focusing
Blue light glasses can reduce the amount of blue light reaching your eyes from digital devices, which might help to ease these uncomfortable symptoms.
Sleep Disruption
Blue light exposure in the evening lowers melatonin production, potentially delaying your sleep and reducing the quality of your sleep.
Wearing blue light glasses at night helps maintain your melatonin levels, supporting deeper, more restorative rest. It's one of the simplest ways to protect your sleep and overall health if you use digital devices before bed.
Say goodbye to digital eye strain and poor sleep with Dream Recovery Blue Light Blocking Glasses.
When to Use Blue Light Glasses
1. During Extended Screen Time
Use blue light glasses any time you're looking at a screen for more than 15-20 minutes. This includes things like:
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Office work
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Studying
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Photo or video editing
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Social media scrolling
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Watching TV
According to the American Association of Ophthalmology, it’s also best to protect your eyes with the 20-20-20 rule during times of extended screen time: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Combining this practice with blue light blocking glasses is the best way to prevent eyestrain.
2. 1-2 Hours Before Sleep
If you're on your phone or laptop late at night, or you have artificial LED lighting in your home, it’s a good idea to wear blue light glasses 1-2 hours before bedtime to reduce melatonin disruption.
They're especially useful for people who:
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Scroll or watch TV before bed
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Work night shifts
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Struggle to fall asleep
You can find out more in our guide whether Blue Light Glasses Help You Sleep Better and how they work.
3. Under Artificial Lighting
Even when you're not using a screen, artificial indoor lighting (especially LED and fluorescent bulbs) can emit artificial blue light that can throw off your body clock and negatively impact your eye comfort.
Use your glasses in places like:
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Classrooms
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Offices
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Retail environments
When Not to Use Blue Light Glasses
1. In Natural Sunlight
Natural blue light from the sun is not harmful and actually benefits your mood and circadian rhythm.
Wearing blue light glasses outside blocks helpful wavelengths and may throw off your sleep-wake cycle. Rather, opt for wearing sunglasses instead for UV protection.
Learn more about the differences between UV protection vs blue light glasses.
2. While Driving at Night
When driving at night, you need all the available light to see clearly. Therefore, any tinted or filtered lenses could reduce visibility and increase the risk of an accident while you’re driving.
That means it’s best to skip blue light glasses (or any tinted lenses) when behind the wheel after dark to prioritize safety.
3. In Low-Light, Non-Digital Environments
If you’re in a setting with little to no artificial blue light, like a candlelit room or a nature retreat, there’s no need to wear your blue light glasses.
They won’t provide much benefit and may slightly impair your vision in dim light.
Who Benefits Most From Blue Light Blocking Glasses?
These glasses are great for people who:
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Spend a lot of time on screens: including remote workers, students, and gamers
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Struggle with chronic sleep issues: especially those exposed to screens or bright indoor lights at night , who find it hard to fall asleep
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Have light sensitivity or uncomfortable eye symptoms: such as those prone to migraines, headaches, or irritated eyes from screen time
If that’s you, blue light glasses can be a great tool to help protect your eyes and support better rest.
You can also see a full list of the benefits of blue light glasses.
Not All Blue Light Glasses Are The Same…
Unlike other mass-produced glasses, Dream Recovery’s Blue Light Glasses are hand-crafted, resulting in a polished, smooth, and high-quality finish. The stylish frames are crafted from Italian Mazzucchelli acetate, while the premium lenses block 98% of blue light.
These glasses also feature two specialized lens options: Amber for daytime use and orange for nighttime use. These options are designed to provide continuous protection against artificial blue light for different times of the day.
Transform your sleep with Dream Recovery Blue Light Glasses.