With a rise in screen time use due to remote learning, zoom calls with friends and families and regular video games, our kids eyes are suffering. And blue light glasses promise to reduce stress on the eyes, but are they worth the price?
Sleep Expert Andrea Spaeth, PhD, Assistant Professor and Laboratory Director at the Rutgers Sleep Lab Says:
More work needs to be done to understand the long-term implications of blue light-blocking glasses on circadian rhythm and melatonin patterns, but in instances where screen time cannot be reduced in the evening (primarily in adolescents and adults), the glasses may prove beneficial for preventing sleep disturbances.
Ophthalmologist Albert S. Khouri, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Director of Resident Education, and Director of Glaucoma Service at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Says:
There’s a lot of marketing in favor of blue light glasses, but proof of their effectiveness is anecdotal at best. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, there’s no evidence the kind of light emitted from computer screens is damaging to the eyes, and there’s no evidence in peer-reviewed literature to advise that parents invest in blue light filtering glasses for their children. —
Pediatrician David Krol, MD, Medical Director of New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative Says:
Very little research has been done on the use of blue light glasses by children. Even for adults and young adults, there is a lack of high quality evidence to support using blue light lenses to improve visual performance or sleep quality, alleviate eye fatigue, or conserve eye health.
BOTTOM LINE
There’s no evidence that such glasses cause any harm (except to your wallet), but there’s also very little evidence they have any benefit.