Short answer: no, blue light glasses don't make you tired. They filter light; they don't contain anything that makes you sleepy. If you feel drowsy in them, the cause is usually something else: wearing a dark evening lens during the day, the wrong glasses for your eyes, or simply that you're wearing them late in the evening, when your body is winding down anyway. Keep clear or yellow lenses for daytime and save orange or red lenses for the two to three hours before bed.
Below: how light affects alertness, why some people feel sleepy in blue light glasses, and how to wear them at the right time.
How Light Affects Alertness
Your body clock takes its cues from light. Blue light, the part of visible light between roughly 400 and 500nm, has the strongest effect:
- During the day, bright light, especially daylight, helps you feel alert and keeps your body clock on time.
- In the evening, bright, blue-rich light can delay the rise of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it's getting dark.
The sun is by far the biggest source of blue light. Screens and LED lighting give off much less, but they're what we're around in the evening. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says screen light doesn't damage the eyes; the evening concern is timing, not eye health.
Why You Might Feel Sleepy in Blue Light Glasses
You're Wearing Them in the Evening
Most people put on orange or red lenses a couple of hours before bed. Feeling ready for sleep at that point is normal: it's the time of day, not the glasses. What the glasses do is cut light that could otherwise delay that wind-down.
You're Wearing an Evening Lens During the Day
Orange and red lenses let through much less light: our orange lens passes 48% of visible light and our red lens 22%. Wearing them all day means a dimmer view and less of the bright light that helps you feel alert. There's little research on whether this makes people sleepy, but there's no reason to wear an evening lens in the daytime, so keep it for the evening.
Your Eyes Are Working Harder
Tired, heavy eyes can feel a lot like general tiredness. Common causes:
- You need glasses or an updated prescription, and non-prescription blue light glasses won't fix that
- You're wearing reading glasses for distance, or the wrong strength
- A dark lens in a dimly lit room makes everything harder to see
- Long screen sessions, blinking less and glare, which happen with or without blue light glasses
It's Not the Glasses at All
Short sleep, a heavy lunch, dehydration and long stretches of screen work make people tired whatever they're wearing. If you're often tired during the day, talk to your doctor.
Which Lens to Wear When
Matching the lens to the time of day is the simplest fix. Our figures are measured by Micro-Light Optics:
- Clear (InvisiAid): blocks 35% across 400–500nm, 86% light transmission. Fine to wear all day.
- Yellow (ScreenAid): blocks 60% across 400–500nm, 79% light transmission. A daytime lens for a warmer-looking screen.
- Orange (SleepAid): blocks 99% across 380–550nm, 48% light transmission. For the two to three hours before bed.
- Red (SleepAidMax): blocks 99.7% across 380–580nm, 22% light transmission. For the last hour before sleep.
Orange and red lenses are not for driving. For timing, see our guide to wearing blue light glasses before bed, and for daytime wear, can you wear blue light glasses all day?
Tips to Stay Alert in the Day
- Get daylight early: time outdoors in the morning is one of the best ways to feel alert and keep your body clock on time.
- Keep evening lenses for the evening: wear clear or yellow during the day, if you wear anything.
- Take screen breaks: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, and get up and move every hour or so.
- Get your eyes checked: an eye exam every couple of years catches prescription changes that can make your eyes feel tired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Blue Light Glasses Make Me Sleepy?
Usually because you're wearing them in the evening, when your body is winding down anyway, or you're wearing a dark evening lens during the day. Tired eyes from an out-of-date prescription can feel like sleepiness too.
Is It Bad to Wear Blue Light Glasses During the Day?
Clear and yellow lenses are fine indoors all day. Keep orange and red lenses for the evening.
Do Blue Light Glasses Reduce Eye Strain or Headaches?
The evidence doesn't show that they do. A 2023 Cochrane review found blue light filtering glasses probably make no difference to eye strain in the short term. Breaks, screen setup and an up-to-date prescription help more. See our post on screen headaches.
Can Blue Light Glasses Give You a Headache?
Some people get a headache from new glasses at first, often from a tight frame or getting used to a strong tint. If headaches continue, stop wearing them and see an optometrist.
Conclusion
Blue light glasses don't make you tired. Feeling sleepy in them usually comes down to timing: wearing them late in the evening, or wearing a dark evening lens during the day. Wear clear or yellow for daytime screens, save orange or red for the two to three hours before bed, and get plenty of daylight earlier in the day.
Not sure which lens suits you? Use the Lens Finder.
