Children are spending more time on screens than ever before. The use of televisions, gaming consoles, smartphones, computers, and tablets has significantly changed the amount of screen time children are exposed to. In the United States, kids between the ages of eight and twelve spend an average of four to six hours each day using or watching screens, and teens spend up to nine hours.
Unfortunately, all that screen time means that children are becoming overexposed to blue light. Overexposure to blue light increases the risk of vision complications, reduces sleep quality, and lowers attentiveness and mood during daytime hours.
Fortunately, there's a solution to this growing problem. Children's blue light glasses contain special lenses that can help mitigate the harmful effects of overexposure to blue light. Here's a look at what you should know before you buy blue light glasses for your child.
What is Blue Light?
Blue light is a color on the visible light spectrum that is naturally absorbed through sunlight. Natural blue light is most substantial in the early mornings and early afternoon. The blue light is absorbed through the photoreceptors in your eyes to reduce melatonin, improve your mood, and help regulate your sleep cycle.
Unfortunately, artificial blue light is given off by electronic devices and fluorescent lights. This artificial blue light carries the same effects as early morning sunlight, leading to overexposure. That overexposure can disrupt your sleep patterns, reduce vision health, and cause fatigue, eye strains, and headaches.
How Do Children's Blue Light Glasses Help?
Blue light glasses have special lenses that filter out some of the blue light given off by electronic devices. These filters can help mitigate the harmful effects of overexposure to blue light. Used in conjunction with limiting screen time, you can safeguard the health of your child's eyes.
The Top 3 Reasons to Buy Blue Light Glasses for Children
Is your child exposed to too much artificial blue light? Are you worried about their eye health and quality of sleep? Here are the top three reasons to buy blue light glasses for children.
1. Kids Are More Vulnerable to Blue Light Effects
Children are more vulnerable to blue light effects because their eyes absorb more blue light than adults. This is because the crystalline lenses in your child's eyes won't finish developing until they are around 14 or 15 years old. In addition, children have larger pupils than adults. Studies have shown that these critical differences can cause twice the amount of melatonin suppression in children as opposed to adults.
Melatonin helps regulate your sleep cycles. Without melatonin, children will struggle more to fall asleep and stay asleep. In fact, the widespread use of electronic devices has been associated with loss of total sleep time and delayed bedtimes. Inadequate sleep can be devastating to a child and impact their daytime functioning on a cognitive and behavioral level. Children may also experience moodiness and may struggle with paying attention due to fatigue levels.
2. Apps That Block Blue Light May Not Be Effective
Some electronic devices, such as smartphones or electronic readers, advertise light blocking apps. However, there is currently little research on the effectiveness of these electronic device apps and if they work as well as children's blue light glasses do. Furthermore, these apps are not always available across all types of devices, such as gaming systems.
3. Blue Light Can Affect Eye Health in Children
Blue light exposure doesn't just impact a child's melatonin. It can also significantly impact your child’s eye health. Not only can children experience short-term effects such as eye strain,but new research also suggests that extended blue light overexposure may cause macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a severe, incurable eye condition where photoreceptor cells in the retina begin to die. Photoreceptor cells are needed to sense light, and the death of these cells results in significant vision loss. Experts believe that this early cell death can ultimately increase a person's risk of blindness or early vision decline.
How to Choose the Right Children's Blue Light Glasses
Before you buy blue light glasses, you must learn how to choose the right blue light glasses for your child. When selecting children's blue light glasses, you should:
- Make sure that the blue light glasses you intend to buy have undergone laboratory testing
- Consider amber lenses as opposed to clear lenses as these may be more effective at blocking out artificial blue light
- Consider additional lens features, such as anti-glare and anti-reflective, which can reduce eye strain and provide further protection against artificial blue light
Additional Ways to Safeguard Your Child From Overexposure to Blue Light
In addition to buying children’s blue light glasses, there are several steps that you can take to reduce your child’s exposure to blue light, including:
- Set a nightly curfew for all electronic devices to at least one hour before bedtime. Consider promoting other activities before bedtime, such as reading a book, working on an art project, or playing a board game.
- Make the bedrooms in your home technology-free zones to reduce blue light exposure before bed. Additionally, technology-free zones can prevent sleep disturbances from texts, calls, or alerts.
- Ensure that your child is receiving daytime light exposure, as natural blue light can help regulate your child’s sleep cycle and promote sleepiness when it’s time for bed.
You may find it easier to set boundaries regarding screen use with your child, especially if your child is a teenager. It can be helpful to talk to your child about the effects blue light may have on their sleep and eye health. Try to establish rules for technology together, and, as a parent, you can model the same healthy habits for your child.
Where to Buy Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Artificial blue light has become a prevailing problem in the United States. With access to so many forms of electronic devices, children are using screens more than ever. Children’s blue light glasses can help protect your child from the harmful effects of overexposure to artificial blue light.
Fortunately, you can save time by choosing to buy blue light glasses online. BlueEyes.com has four generations of eyewear expertise to provide high-quality, durable blue light glasses in exclusive designs.
Are you interested in children’s blue light glasses? Start protecting your child’s eyes from blue light today and find your perfect fit here.
