The light we perceive appears colorless, but actually consists of a range of colors. Each color has a different wavelength. Blue light has short wavelengths with a lot of energy. Sunlight is the main source of this, but blue light also comes from some bulbs and electronic devices. Thanks to this light coming from the screens of devices such as phones and tablets, we can easily read these screens even in daylight. We cannot turn off this light completely. During the pandemic, with many people working and learning at home, continuous TV viewing time has increased sharply. We have encountered some complaints caused by spending more time with these devices more frequently.
Does Blue Light Harm Your Eyes?
Large amounts of high-energy light from the sun (such as ultraviolet rays) can increase your risk of eye diseases. Blue light also has high energy. There are increasing concerns about whether blue light, especially from digital screens, is harmful. We need more research to determine whether the amount of blue light we receive from the devices we commonly use causes eye damage in people. However, we know that the ganglion cells of the retina layer of our eye, which allows us to see, contain melanopsin photopigment and are especially sensitive to blue light. In general, the light coming from electronic devices causes complaints such as fatigue in our eyes, the feeling of closing our eyes, mild headaches, and dry eyes.
Does Blue Light Affect Your Health?
Our body controls the functioning of its own bodily functions according to time. It has a clock that programs it, and this is called the body clock or circadian rhythm. Blue light from electronic devices can disrupt the balance of our body clock. A chemical called melatonin is released in your body at bedtime. Melatonin prepares us for sleep. Blue light can slow the release of melatonin. If you don't have enough melatonin, you may have trouble getting a good night's sleep. Poor sleep is linked to health problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, depression, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even some types of cancer. Our brain absorbs the strong light that mimics sunlight from electronic devices used before sleep. We perceive it as daylight and mistakenly believe that it is not night yet, thus losing sleep because the melatonin release pattern is disrupted. It is known that people who use their phones before going to bed have difficulty falling asleep. Therefore, we should not use devices such as phones and tablets before sleeping.
Smartphones and Tablets
These emit more blue light than other colors. However, your device may have a “night” mode. It allows you to give your screen an orange tint with longer wavelength light. It can usually be set to start automatically every night. We don't know exactly whether switching to a less blue screen is enough to keep our sleep rhythm on track. This is because using these devices before sleep stimulates our brain independent of light. It is better to minimize the time we use these devices in the evenings.
Laptops and Computer Monitors
These can only be considered large versions of your smartphone or tablet. This means they send out the same type of light. It may be good to block the blue light coming from the computer during the day. Your laptop or desktop computer may have a night mode option, just like your phone. If not, you can install a computer program or use filters to reduce the blue cast on your computer screen.
Fluorescent and LED Bulbs
These use less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs. They are economical. But they emit more blue light. When you buy compact fluorescent bulbs or LED lights for the home, it's best to choose a type with a coating to emit "warmer" light. You may choose to use a red bulb in your bedside lamp or night light. It is thought to be the most harmless color before sleep.
LED Televisions
Many flat-screen televisions are LED backlit. Some newer TVs may have a built-in blue light filter that you can turn on. Or you can buy a blue light filter that passes over the screen. You can also adjust the color and brightness of your TV manually.
Electronic Readers
Digital readers are useful. is. However, when used at night, it can easily make it difficult to sleep. It has been shown that people who use an “e-reader” in the hours before bed take longer to fall asleep than those who read from a printed book. Additionally, their sleep quality may be affected and they may feel sleepy the next morning. Some e-readers have a setting to reduce blue light. Otherwise, it would be appropriate to reduce the overall light level of your device.
How to Reduce Blue Light
Nowadays, glasses can be made with a blue filter. Scientific results regarding how useful such coatings are to reduce the effect of blue light are unknown. However, blue blocking glasses can be given a chance. The anti-reflective coating on your regular glasses can also reduce blue light and glare. This can relieve eye fatigue. Blue light may not be harmful to the eyes when it comes from natural sources during the day. Therefore, there is no need to always have glasses with a blue filter. However, close-up glasses may have a blue filter. It is more logical to use glasses with a blue filter when using electronic devices that emit only blue light for those who are under age.
Using blue filter glasses in the evening, especially when using electronic devices, may be beneficial for sleeping on time. Therefore, if possible, use glasses with a blue filter in the evenings. It is also thought that using blue filter glasses increases working efficiency the next day due to sleep quality. This beneficial effect is more evident in people who are used to going to bed late at night. So, if your sleep is not regular, at least in the evenings, use glasses with blue filters or use electronic devices with blue filters. These beneficial effects are the immediate effects after using blue filter glasses or devices. In other words, it is unknown whether the benefits of blocking blue light will continue if you extend the screen time by saying I use blue filtration or continue to use screens at night.
Most importantly, try not to use electronic devices 1-2 hours before bedtime. In other words, it would not be right to use devices such as phones, tablets and computers without control just because I wear blue filter glasses. If you absolutely have to use it, use it at night. Switch to wood and avoid bright screens. It is thought that wearing amber glasses a few hours before bed may help with sleep. Even if you are using glasses with blue light filters or the blue filter of devices, you should try to reduce screen time, take breaks, stay away from the screen when you need tea or coffee, try to blink frequently, look away from time to time, or apply the 20-20-20 rule.
The Effect of Screens on Children
Children actually need some blue light from the sun. It is not harmful to their vision. However, it is thought that most of the blue light reflected from device screens such as phones, tablets, computers and televisions causes some problems. For example, spending too long with blue light or these devices themselves has been shown to be linked to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), obesity, and myopia progression.
Children should be away from screens until they are 2 years old, unless there is a video chat with loved family members. For older children, try to limit screen time to 1 hour per day. You should try to meet children's needs such as games, entertainment and having a good time with activities other than electronic devices.
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