How Does Blue Light Affect Your Well-Being and Sleep? Everything You Need to Know
We spend an average of 10 hours a day in front of screens: computers, cell phones, tablets, televisions... All that exposure comes at a price, and your well-being pays the price. The main character in this story isblue light, a wavelength that accompanies every second you spend in front of a digital device.
What exactly is blue light?
Blue light (between 400 and 500 nm) is part of the visible spectrum and occurs naturally in sunlight. During the day, it plays an important role: it keeps us alert, regulates our mood, and synchronizes our internal biological clock, the circadian rhythm.
The problem is that digital devices and modern LED lighting emit large amounts of this light artificially, at any time of day or night. Our brains are not evolutionarily equipped to handle so much blue light at 11 p.m.
Symptoms of overexposure to blue light
Have you ever felt like your eyes were tired at the end of the workday? Do you have trouble falling asleep even when you're exhausted? Digital eye strain and insomnia are the most immediate consequences, but they aren't the only ones:
- Eye strain and dry eyes: The constant effort required to focus on screens causes eye strain and reduces natural blinking.
- Headaches: especially in the forehead and temples, common after long hours in front of the computer.
- Sleep disruption: Blue light at night suppresses melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it's time to sleep.
- Irritability and difficulty concentrating: Poor-quality sleep directly affects your performance and mood.
The Difference Between Day and Night
Not all exposure to blue light is equally harmful. It is important to distinguish between two very different scenarios depending on the time of day.
During the day: eye strain from screen use
If you spend a lot of time working in front of a computer, eye strain is your biggest enemy. blue-light-blocking glasses for daytime use are designed with clear or yellow lenses that filter out some of the high-energy blue light, reducing eye strain. They’re perfect for wearing throughout the workday.
If you also have presbyopia, there are also prescription blue-light-blocking glasses with different magnifications so you can see the screen clearly and without straining.
At night: protecting the circadian rhythm
When the sun goes down, blue light becomes the number one enemy of your sleep. To block it effectively, you need orange or red lenses. The blue-light-blocking glasses for nighttime are designed precisely for this purpose: wear them 1 to 2 hours before bedtime, and you’ll notice how your mind begins to wind down naturally, promoting melatonin production.
What about the children? They need protection, too.
Children's eyes are more sensitive to blue light than adults' because their lenses do not yet filter this wavelength efficiently. If your child uses a tablet or cell phone to study or play, it's worth considering blue light glasses for children for daytime screen use, and protect their nighttime sleep with blue light glasses for children at night.
Small Changes, Big Results
Protecting yourself from the effects of blue light doesn't require any major sacrifices. Small changes to your routine can make a huge difference in your well-being:
- Wear blue-light-filtering glasses while working at your computer.
- Put on your blue-light-blocking glasses when night falls.
- Replace the white lighting in your home with warm tones after dinner.
- Try to avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
For Apricotte we’ve been designing blue-light-filtering glasses for years that combine contemporary aesthetics with blue- and green-light-filtering technology. Because taking care of your well-being and rest shouldn’t mean sacrificing style.
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