What are Blue-Block lenses and do I need them?

Blue light blocking glasses have a specially crafted coating on the lens that are said to block or filter out the blue light given off from digital screens.

What are the benefits of blue-light blocking glasses?

The lenses protect your eyes from glare and can help reduce potential damage to your retina from prolonged exposure to blue light. Blue light has shorter wavelengths and higher energy than other colors. Some research shows a link between eye damage and short-wave blue light with wavelengths between 415 and 455 nanometers. Most of the light from the LEDs used in smartphones, TVs, and tablets has wavelengths between 400 and 490 nanometers.

What does the science say?

Blue light helps regulate your circadian rhythm, or wake-and-sleep cycle. But watching TV or scrolling through social media too late at night can have the opposite effect. The blue light stimulates your brain, slowing or stopping release of the sleep hormone melatonin. That makes it harder to get a good night’s sleep.

In large amounts, high-energy light from the sun -- like ultraviolet rays and blue light -- can raise your risk of eye disease. That’s caused concerns about whether blue light from digital screens is harmful. More research is needed.

Do I need blue-block glasses?

If you do have long daily exposure to blue-light at irregular time periods- e.g using digital devices for long periods and late at night. It may help regulate your circadian rhythm and improve your quality of sleep. The blocking aspect will also mitigate any damage to the retina from long exposure.