Can Blue Light Blocking Glasses Help You Sleep?

Our internal clocks are rather smart. For thousands of years human bodies have worked on the cycle of rising with the sun. In order to work and live when you can see best. And then going to sleep as the sun sets and resting when it is dark out. This is now ingrained into our systems, with something we now call our circadian rhythm.

When we are surrounded by sunlight our brains begin to wake us up and as we experience the dark of night we feel sleepy and go to bed. Now that we have so much artificial blue light from screens, we are throwing off our natural sleep and wake cycle. We know this to be true, the question is whether or not Blue Light Blocking Glasses can help you sleep? Keep reading to find out.

How Does Blue Light Affect Your Sleep?

Blue light is a type of light that has a short wavelength. In nature you really only experience blue light in large doses from sunshine. Our natural circadian rhythm reacts to the blue light from the rising sun and triggers hormones in your brain to wake you up. It is helpful for waking up naturally in the morning and staying awake throughout the day.

However, we are now facing more blue light than ever with all of our screens. From smartphones and laptops to our TV sets. Even electronic picture frames and some LED lights put out blue light that triggers the same hormones in our minds that the rising sun triggers. Which as you may have already guessed, seriously disrupts our circadian rhythm. With our bodies telling us to stay awake even though we know it is bedtime, there is a conflict in our routine.

How Do Blue Light Blocking Glasses Work?

Blue Light Blocking Glasses use protective films to refract specific rays from reaching your eyes. Of course this is a limited blocking effect. There are some glasses that will protect more than others. Think of it like sunscreen, you use it to protect your skin from the sun. However, if you are still outside laying in the sunlight, you still may get a tan. There are also different protective levels of sunscreen 25 spf vs 100 spf.

While there are some standard looking glasses that have a protective blue light filtering film, there are some with amber toned frames. These amber toned frames add an extra layer of protection over the standard blue light blocking frames. These are particularly beneficial to wear in the evenings before bed. You also get the added benefit of looking like you’re wearing cool retro mod 70s style frames.

Can Blue Light Blocking Glasses Help You Sleep?

Absolutely. Using blue light blocking glasses can help support a healthy sleep routine. Any limitation on blue light reaching your eyes (especially in the evenings) is going to be helpful for getting to sleep. While it is good to get a healthy amount of blue light during the morning and afternoon, it is helpful to limit the amount of blue light we receive in the evenings.

While it is highly recommended to turn off screens and other artificial blue light emitters several hours before bed. We understand that for most people living in the modern world that this is nearly impossible to accomplish on a regular basis. There is simply to much to do on our screens. Which is where blue light blocking glasses can help us all to find a balance and greatly decrease the blue light we take in. By taking in less blue light, our mins are receiving signals that it is time to start getting ready to sleep. Triggering production of melatonin so we feel tired at the appropriate time.

You may also be interested in reading our post: Pros and Cons to Having a TV in Your Bedroom

Top Blue Light Blocking Glasses:

Eyekepper Blue Light Filter Glasses

These are great working glasses, in fashionable frames. They feature reading lenses at different strengths so you get the added benefits of readers with these glasses as well. Perfect for working on the computer throughout the day or watching tv at night. Also great for book tablets. Comes in many different colors for the frames.

Shop the Eyekeeper Blue Light Filter Glasses at Overstock.com

Readers.com The Francis Computer Reader

This is another great pair of reading glasses with blue light filtering protection. These square frames are adorable in this blue color although they come in several other shades as well as different reading strengths.

Shop the Readers.com Blue Light Blocking Glasses at Overstock.com

Readers.com The Domino Computer Reader Cat Eye Reading Glasses

Another fun blue blocking set of frames from Readers.com. We love the overall appearance of these frames. They also are a great low level protection that is great to wear during the day at work or home. They are not so intensely protective that you will look like you’re wearing sunglasses.

Shop for these readers at Overstock.com

The Blaire Computer Reader Retro Square Reading Glasses

These funky frames are great if you want a stylish frame. They have reader strength lenses for you to choose from and of course a blue light blocking film. These frames are great to wear to protect your eyes from any strain caused by blue light.

Shop for the Blaire Blue Light Blocking Glasses from Overstock.com

Eyekepper Blue Light Blocking Reading Glasses Sleep Glasses

Now we are getting into the more serious blue blocking frames. You will notice their amber toned frames are an added protective feature in order to block out as much blue light as possible. These are perfect to wear in the evenings for ultimate protection from blue light.

Shop these Eyekeeper Blue Light Blocking Frames at Overstock.com

Blue Light Blocking Reading Glasses Orange Tinted Filter Lens by EyeKeeper

Finally a really fun set that could easily pass for sunglasses. This pair is not a reader, which is great for anyone who does not want or need any prescription. The dark lenses are made to block out as much blue light as possible so your eyes can relax and you can sleep well at night.

Buy these adorable blue blocking frames at Overstock.com

Other Ways To Limit Blue Light Before Bed:

Eliminate Blue Light After Sunset:

The best way to avoid the complications caused by blue lights, is to eliminate them from your evenings. A good rule of thumb is to try and avoid screen time all together after the sun sets. However, for many of us this is simply too much to ask. Whether you work on your computer in the evenings, or you simply love watching a bit of Netflix before bed.

Lower Blue Light Levels on Screens:

Cutting out screen time completely is much easier said than done. There are alternatives however. You can lower the brightness on your screens. Some smartphones have the ability to schedule this feature for you so at a certain time of day it automatically adjusts to a lower brightness level. Turn on features like dark mode or night shift in order to have your phone emit less cool blue light overall.

Turn Off Screens 2 Hours Before Bed:

While completely eliminating blue light after sun down is rather extreme. This is a slightly easier to achieve goal for limiting your screen time consumption. Around 2 hours before bed, turn off your TV and put down your smartphone, or tablets.

Take this time to read in soft lighting or meditate. Or perhaps you could take a bath and enjoy a relaxing break from it all before you head off to bed. Turning this into a relaxing self care routine before you go to sleep. This will lower your screen time and help you to relax.

Need Some Entertainment?

If you’re an avid TV watcher before bed, we suggest finding some relaxing podcasts or audio books to listen to. This will give you the entertainment and audio you’re used to experiencing before bed without the blue light.

There are now loads of different free podcasts available online that are geared toward helping you fall asleep as well. So you can shift over to this form of entertainment without spending a dime.

Blue Light Blocking Glasses and Sleep – Final Thoughts:

Blue light can seriously disrupt your bodies natural circadian rhythm. Which is why using blue light blocking glasses can be seriously helpful with getting a good amount of sleep at night. By blocking the blue light emitted by screens like your computer and phone, you are allowing your bodies natural circadian to kick back in and maintain a healthy cycle.

This allows you to start producing melatonin naturally allowing yourself to fall asleep without needing supplements. We also suggest limiting the amount of time you spend in the evenings with screen time overall as this is the best way to limit the amount of blue light reaching your eyes.

Have some lingering questions? We are happy to help! Head over to our Contact Us page and send us a message. We would love to help answer any questions you may have.