Do Blue Light Glasses Help With Headaches from Screens

Spending hours in front of a laptop, mobile phone, or a tablet can leave your eyes strained and cause annoying headaches.

If you’ve ever rubbed your temples after a long workday or screen time, you’re not alone. Anyone who exposes themselves to artificial blue light for extended periods can experience these headaches.

Blue light glasses can help you avoid screen-related headaches. In this guide, we’ll talk about:

Why blue light matters
Do blue light glasses help with headaches from screens
Alternatives and complementary strategies
How to choose the right pair

Let’s dive in.

Why Does Blue Light Matter?

Picture blue light as a slice of the broader white light spectrum, with wavelengths ranging from 380 to 500 nanometers.

It’s everywhere, from sunlight to LED screens to flourescent bulbs. While our body needs this light for alertness during the day, artificial sources, especially at night, can lead to several health issues, such as:

Eye strain and dryness (From extended focus on screens)
Disrupted sleep (Blue light exposure suppresses melatonin production)
Headaches and fatigue

Note that your eyes do have a natural blue light filter, but it’s not enough to block the high-concentration blue light coming from screens.

Over time, this light can tire your eye muscles, leading to fatigue and headaches.

Do Blue Light Glasses Help With Headaches from Screens?

Tired man with eyes fatigue at work

Let’s start with how blue light glasses work; they have a filter or coating designed to block a specific range of wavelengths (Blue-violet light).

Special Lens Coating or Tint: This coating blocks the blue light while allowing other wavelengths to pass through.

So, if a pair of glasses blocks only blue light, it’ll allow green light to pass through, keeping you vulnerable to green light’s negative effects.

As for the tint, a higher tint blocks a higher percentage of blue light. Clear lenses block less blue light than amber tints.

The higher the blocking percentage, the more protective benefits you get. However, note that more blue light blocking also causes color perception changes.

With red tints, for instance, you won’t see things in their true colors, which makes these tints inappropriate for color-sensitive tasks (E.g., graphic design).

Reduces Glare and Screen Brightness: Many blue light glasses come with an anti-reflective coating, which reduces screen glare.

As a result, you’re less likely to develop a headache due to screen glare.

Relieves Eye Muscles: By blocking most of the harsh blue light from artificial sources, blue light glasses soften your visual environment, helping your eye muscles to stay relaxed.

Can blue light glasses help with headaches from screens? Yes, for most people, these glasses can help, especially if the screen time is long and intense.

While clinical research is still growing in this area, several studies suggest that blue light glasses can reduce visual discomfort, which in turn, can decrease the intensity and frequency of screen-related headaches.

However, of course, not all headaches stem from blue light exposure. Other reasons include uncorrected vision problems, dehydration, poor posture, and even screen glare.

That’s why we recommend blue light glasses as part of a broader eye health strategy, not as the only solution.

Alternatives and Complementary Strategies

Tired man working late in evening

Blue light glasses work best alongside healthy screen habits and eye hygiene. Here are some tips:

Make the 20-20-20 rule part of your screen life: This gives your eye muscles enough rest, potentially preventing eye strain and headaches.

The rule is that after every 20 minutes, take your eyes off the screen and look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Adjust your screen settings: Your device might have a night mode or a filter that blocks blue light. Use it to make your display warmer and softer on your eyes.

Use blue light glasses with anti-reflective coatings: In addition to blocking blue light, these glasses also reduce glare from screens, making your screen experience more comfortable.

Choosing the Right Blue Light Glasses

Not all blue light glasses are created equal; the right one provides effective protection against headaches.

Lens Tint Level

Sleepzm's Wayfarer blue light glasses on a white background

A light tint or clear lenses block a small amount of blue light. They're suitable for daytime use.

Darker tints, like yellow and amber, provide heavier filtering, ideal for evening or night use.

However, note that high-tint lenses may distort colors, so avoid them for color-critical tasks.

Additional Coating

Some blue light glasses also have an additional coating for UV protection. This makes them suitable for both indoor and outdoor wear.

Prescription Options

You don't need a prescription for a pair of blue light glasses. If you want, you can get your eyecare specialist to add a blue light filter to your existing prescription glasses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions related to blue light glasses and screen-related headaches.

Do Blue Light Glasses Stop Screen Headaches?

Yes, they can stop screen headaches if display light triggers your headache. They block the high-intensity blue light and make displays appear warmer and comfortable.

Do Blue Light Glasses Work for Computer Screens?

Yes, blue light glasses block blue light coming from computer screens. This can help reduce digital eye strain and regulate your sleep (By normalizing melatonin production).

What Glasses Help With Headaches from Screens?

Blue light blocking glasses, especially those with an anti-reflective coating, can often help reduce headaches from screens.

How to Fix a Headache from Looking at a Screen?

Use blue light glasses with an anti-reflective coating, adjust display settings (Reduce brightness), follow the 20-20-20 rule, and blink more often during screen sessions.

Conclusion

Wearing blue light glasses while using a screen can prevent headache onsets or triggers.

These glasses not only block the high-intensity blue light, but they also make your displays look warmer and softer.

However, blue light isn't the only culprit here; bad screen habits can also contribute to your headaches. So, you need a more comprehensive strategy for prevention and remedy.

Try to identify your triggers. For instance, if it's bright screen light, adjust screen settings and wear anti-reflective blue light glasses.