This post was last updated on March 30th, 2021 at 03:47 pm.
“Attention Kmart shoppers!”
No, not the flashing blue light alerting you to special discounts! I’m talking about the blue light that comes from fluorescent light bulbs, LED lights, and the screens on our computers, cell phones, and TVs. Blue light naturally occurs in sunlight and plays a very important role because it cues our bodies to be awake and alert during the daytime.
But according to Harvard Health Publications, blue light also has a dark side.
(W)e may be paying a price for basking in all that light. At night, light throws the body’s biological clock—the circadian rhythm—out of whack. Sleep suffers. Worse, research shows that it may contribute to the causation of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.”
Blue light from screens may also cause eyestrain, headaches, and fatigue.
What can you do to minimize these harmful effects?
During the day, take frequent breaks from looking at your screen. Avoid screen time at least two or three hours before bed. If you absolutely can’t avoid screen time before bed, use computer glasses or install a program to help block the blue light.
A few of us in the Icon Systems office have Gunnars, special computer glasses engineered to eliminate digital eye strain and block artificial blue light. http://www.gunnars.com
Others in the office use f.lux, a program that makes the color of your computer’s display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day. Download it free for Mac OS X, Windows, or Linux at https://justgetflux.com.
What do you do to minimize eye strain?
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