Are Night Mode and Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses Effective?
With many activities having become online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been spending more time on their devices. However, using computers or smartphones before going to sleep can negatively impact sleep quality and overall health. Although sunlight is the largest source of blue light, which is part of the light spectrum visible to humans, many electronic screens that use fluorescent or LED lights also emit blue light. Blue light can boost alertness, elevate mood, and reduce melatonin secretion. Melatonin is an important hormone that helps regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, known as the circadian rhythm. Exposure to blue light emitted from screens (computers, smartphones, etc.) during the evening and night can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, leading to reduced sleep quality and duration.
A recent study investigated the efficacy of two ways to reduce blue light exposure: night-mode functions and blue-light-reducing glasses. Night-mode functions reduce the blue light emitted from the device itself, whereas blue-light-reducing glasses filter all light that reaches the eyes. Enabling night mode on a smartphone reduces blue light emission by making the screen appear more warm-toned (more brown/yellow). Blue-light-reducing glasses are marketed as being able to filter out blue light, reducing the amount of blue light that reaches the eyes. This study examined two different types of blue-light-reducing lenses: one with an anti-reflective coating and another with a tint. The researchers measured the amount of blue light emitted from various smartphone screens as a control and then compared the measurements to the amount of blue light emitted under different night-mode settings (cool, warm, and warmest). They also calculated how much melatonin was suppressed under each of these settings using a logistic model from another study. The same measurements were taken for no lens (the control), uncoated lenses, coated lenses, and tinted lenses.
A recent study investigated the efficacy of two ways to reduce blue light exposure: night-mode functions and blue-light-reducing glasses. Night-mode functions reduce the blue light emitted from the device itself, whereas blue-light-reducing glasses filter all light that reaches the eyes. Enabling night mode on a smartphone reduces blue light emission by making the screen appear more warm-toned (more brown/yellow). Blue-light-reducing glasses are marketed as being able to filter out blue light, reducing the amount of blue light that reaches the eyes. This study examined two different types of blue-light-reducing lenses: one with an anti-reflective coating and another with a tint. The researchers measured the amount of blue light emitted from various smartphone screens as a control and then compared the measurements to the amount of blue light emitted under different night-mode settings (cool, warm, and warmest). They also calculated how much melatonin was suppressed under each of these settings using a logistic model from another study. The same measurements were taken for no lens (the control), uncoated lenses, coated lenses, and tinted lenses.
Using blue-light-reducing glasses may help improve sleep quality, but more research is needed to determine their effects on eye health.
Image Source: Blackcreek Corporate
In terms of night mode functions, the researchers found that the warmer the night-mode setting, the less blue light is emitted and the less melatonin secretion is suppressed. However, since night mode is not the default setting on most devices, the user needs to manually turn on this setting in order to reduce blue light exposure during the evening and night. Blue-light-reducing glasses were found to have a weaker effect on melatonin suppression, decreasing melatonin suppression by 33%, compared to night-mode functions, which lowered melatonin suppression by up to 93%. Additionally, coated lenses were found to be more efficient than the tinted lenses for reducing blue light exposure.
However, it is important to note that the current research being done on blue-light-reducing glasses has often led to conflicting results, and there is yet not enough evidence to conclusively determine if these glasses can actually improve sleep or eye health. Also, whether or not other other light sources (i.e. room lighting) affect sleep quality remains unclear. Nonetheless, the findings from this study can help the public understand the potential benefits of device night-mode functions and blue-light-reducing lenses for sleep.
However, it is important to note that the current research being done on blue-light-reducing glasses has often led to conflicting results, and there is yet not enough evidence to conclusively determine if these glasses can actually improve sleep or eye health. Also, whether or not other other light sources (i.e. room lighting) affect sleep quality remains unclear. Nonetheless, the findings from this study can help the public understand the potential benefits of device night-mode functions and blue-light-reducing lenses for sleep.
Image Source: Maulik Sutariya
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