How to stop blue light from devices ruining your sleep – and skin

Blue light from our many devices can pose several health risks, the biggest being the disruption of our sleep cycle

Eyeglasses that block blue light and physical filters that cover screens can help, while mineral-based sunscreens can help negate the effect on skin

Reading Time:4 minutes

Research shows that blue light from our devices could suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that plays a critical role in inducing sleep. Photo: Getty Images/EyeEm

Published: 8:15pm, 23 Jan 2021Updated: 9:02pm, 23 Jan 2021

After lawyer Kam Dhaliwal realised how much of her life in Hong Kong revolved around staring at digital screens, she bought a pair of blue-light-blocking eyeglasses. The HK$300 (US$39) purchase from a local ophthalmologist required no prescription, and she quickly came to appreciate their value.

A casual discussion with her friends had helped her recognise she might be harming her eyes by spending long hours poring over legal documents on-screen at work. The 29-year-old was also mostly going online for entertainment, too. When she googled for ways to protect her eyes, these special antiglare glasses seemed a good idea.

In January last year, as many companies began to transition to working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, she had a chance to use her glasses more regularly. “I’d always forget to take them to work with me earlier,” she says. At home, they were always at hand. When lockdown restrictions eased months later and she returned to the office, she realised how much she’d relied on them to relieve her eye strain.

We tend to think of tired eyes as a chronic malady of our times – an inevitable reality of increased screen and gadget use. But the real problem, experts say, is the source and quality of our lighting.

Working from home means many people are spending more time in front of screens. Photo: Getty Images

The blue light that many devices emit can pose several health risks, the biggest being the disruption of our sleep cycle.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x