Why I Keep My Blue Light Filter Always on

The visible light we see is made up of red, orange, yellow, green and blue rays with many different shades. Blue light rays have the shortest wavelength and the highest amount of energy. That's why blue light is also called High Energy Visible (HEV) light. Due to high energy content, blue light has been linked with a number of harmful effects.

Many effects include disruption of the circadian rhythm as well as insomnia, eye strain and macular degeneration. To combat these, there are blue filters, all of which block blue light and prevent it from reaching our eyes. While these filters all come in handy, there is still the question of when to use blue light filters in the form of screen protectors or anti blue light glasses. Do we just use them all day, every day? Are there specific times or situations where blue light filters should best be utilised? Well, that's what we are here to find out.

During the day, the sun is the most abundant source of blue light. We are exposed to far more blue light during the day than any device when the sun sets. But is this blue light completely harmful? Do we really need to constantly protect ourselves from it? No, blue light can be beneficial especially during the day.

In the course of our evolution, we have been designed to stay active during the day and retire to our bed at night. The HEV light that deeply penetrates our eyes plays a major role maintaining this regular sleep cycle. Exposure to blue light suppresses the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and boosts alertness. Blue light also elevates your mood, enhances memory and boosts your cognitive functions so you'll be at your best during the day.

At night, the absence of the sun and it's blue light would ideally allow the production of melatonin and encourage sleep. Unfortunately, that's not the case in these modern times. The use of artificial fluorescent lighting, smartphones, tablets, laptops and other similar devices has ensured that we remain exposed to blue light well after the sun has already set.

We are practically glued to the screens of our treasured smartphones and laptops. In fact, young adults may be using their phones an average of five hours a day. When exposure to blue light emitted by such devices happens at night, it suppresses the production of melatonin and keeps you alert when you should be preparing for sleep. It's, therefore, crucial to making heavy use of blue light filters once the sun sets to prevent insomnia and disruption of your sleep cycle.

Blue light protection for kids

Considering the many responsibilities and expenses that come with having children, their exposure to blue light is probably the furthest thing from your mind. However, if you're wondering when to use blue light filters, this is one of the crucial scenarios. When we are born, the crystalline lens in our eyes used to focus on far away objects is very clear. As the years go by, the lens gradually yellows with age and starts absorbing HEV blue light to protect the retina.

Children also possess a low amount of macular pigment which acts as the natural blue light filter in our eyes. This macular pigment only becomes sufficient after the child grows to about 9 years old. In addition to this, a child's eyes have larger pupils than an adult, hence more light enters the eye and reaches the retina.

All these factors mean that children are much more vulnerable to eye damage by blue light. Despite this, children of this day and age have proven to be more technologically savvy than any previous generation. Homework is done and submitted online on a laptop and entertainment is readily available in the form of games and videos. With such widespread exposure, you should, therefore, take initiative to protect their eyes by using blue light filters. Place them on every device and screen your children have access to. If you feel it's not enough, get some blue light filtering glasses to protect their eyes from all sources of blue light.

If you have extended screen time

Spending the whole day staring at a computer screen or any other screen could cause digital eye strain. Blue light is among the factors that contribute to the development of digital eye strain. So if you experience blurred vision after staring at a screen for too long, that's probably a sign of digital eye-strain. Other symptoms include headaches and dry or tired eyes.

However, these symptoms are very common and unspecific, hence are mostly ignored because they don't seem serious enough. Considering digital eye strain may become permanent is not managed, it's, therefore, a better idea to nip the problem in the bud and seek preventive measures instead. One of the ways of preventing digital eye strain is by using a blue light filter for your screen.

So now you know when to use blue light filters for the most significant effect. All that's left is finding effective blue light filters for use. Visit our site Ocushield for a wide selection of quality blue light filters that won't disappoint you.

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Source: https://www.ocushield.com/blogs/bluelight/when-to-use-blue-light-filters#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20blue%20light%20suppresses,your%20best%20during%20the%20day.