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What Blue Light Does?

  • Helps regulate your circadian rhythm—your internal sleep-wake cycle

  • Boosts alertness and mental performance during the day

  • Influences your mood and memory

  • Contributes to eye strain and interferes with sleep​

  • At night, blue light exposure can suppress melatonin—
    the hormone that makes you feel sleepy
     

  • Prolonged exposure may contribute to:

    • Digital Eye Strain

    • Headaches

    • Retinal issues: Macular Degeneration

Image by YEISON QUINTERO

Protect from Blue Light

  • Blue light glasses are specially designed eyewear

  • They help by filtering out or blocking blue light emitted from digital screens, fluorescent and LED lighting.

  • They reduce eye strain and improve sleep quality

  • Especially great for people who spend long hours in front of screens.

Click here for Blue Light Glasses
Image by Jakub Żerdzicki

What is Blue Light?

  • Blue light is a high-energy, short-wavelength light

  • Part of the visible light spectrum

  • Ranges between about 400-455 nm placing it near ultraviolet light on the electromagnetic spectrum.

  • Produced by:

    • Digital screens: phones, computers, tablets, TVs

    • LED and fluorescent lighting

How Blue Light Affects the Body

Here's a breakdown of how it influences different aspects of well-being:

🧠 Mental & Cognitive Effects

  • Nighttime exposure can suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, leading to insomnia and disrupted circadian rhythms.
     

👁️ Eye Health

  • Prolonged exposure to blue light from screens may contribute to:

  • Digital eye strain (dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches)

  • Potential risk of macular degeneration and retinal damage over time, though more research is needed to confirm long-term effects

  • Children are especially vulnerable, as their eyes absorb more blue light than adults’
     

😴 Sleep Disruption

  • Blue light exposure in the evening delays melatonin release, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep

  • Even dim blue light—like a small LED indicator—can interfere with sleep quality
     

❤️ Chronic Health Risks

  • Some studies suggest links between nighttime light exposure and increased risks of:

    • Obesity

    • Diabetes

    • Heart disease

    • Breast and Prostate cancer

                 Ways to Protect Yourself from Blue Light:                  

20-20-20 RULE

  • ​Use blue light filters or night mode on devices

  • Wear blue-blocking glasses in the evening

  • Follow the 20-20-20 rule:

    • Every 20 minutes

    • Look at something 20 feet away

    • For 20 seconds

  • Avoid screens 2–3 hours before bedtime

  • Otherwise, wear ORANGE lens glasses to induce sleep​

  • Opt for dim amber lighting at night, which is less disruptive to sleep

Remove Blue Light from Screens:

  • How to remove blue light from computer displays:

    • iPad

    • iPhone

  • Go to:

    • Settings

    • Accessibility

    • Display & Text

    • Color Filter

      • Turn on

      • Pick the “red” tint

      • Move the scale up for less blue tint

Nanda Dry Eye & Vision Institute is located in:  

Spine Associates Building 

9301 Southwest Freeway, Suite 165  

Houston, TX 77074  

Office: (832) 966-0660

Fax: (800) 575-5735

© 20/20  NDEVI, PLLC www.DocNanda.com

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