As someone who works in front of a computer for long hours, I recently got myself a pair of special glasses that filters out about 50% of blue light which is harmful to the retina. The glasses are meant to be worn when you’re staring at a computer screen, tablet, cellphone, or flat-screen TV, all of which emit excessive amounts of blue light. So far I haven’t felt that big of a difference except that the screen looks dimmer when looking through the glasses and my eyes don’t feel as tired as before, but that may be psychological. Is anyone else using such a filter, either worn as glasses or pasted over your computer screen? What kind of result have you noticed?
More about blue light filter here:
wisegeek.com/what-are-hev-sunglasses.htm
I thought the idea of the blue light filter was to help regulate sleep patterns?
That’s why I use mine. Not sure if they help or not.
Blue light stops your body from secreting melatonin, that’s what I heard. Anyways I wear my blue-light blocking glasses after sunset and also use Flux.
Guess I have been sleeping pretty well since I got them, but it’s hard to make a comparison. I’m probably biased because I invested in the glasses and wouldn’t want to admit a stupid investment 
" many researchers now believe…"
Without a single link to published material or at least a review.
Pitiful.
I’m a bit surprised by how few people have chimed in on this topic given the number of regular desk-bound computer users on this site. But then there’s only one other person in my company who’s donning the glasses. Maybe you’re still in your 20s and vision loss is the last thing that concerns you. But if you’re over 40 and stare at a computer/tablet on a daily basis for more than 3 hours at a stretch, this is something you ought to look into (no pun intended). The only advice I got from my eye doctor is you should let your eyes rest for at least five minutes every hour. Resting doesn’t have to be shutting your eyes; it can simply be looking out the window at something (preferrably greenery) far away. I also did some more research into this and found this:
[quote]
Why should we be concerned about blue light?
Dr. Smick: It’s the high-energy Blue-Violet light that we have to worry about. Recent studies have shown that this wavelength of light is a risk factor for retinal damage and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which leads to central vision loss. As we incorporate more and more LED light into our environment, there is a greater need for protection from high-energy light sources.
During an eye examination, can you tell if a patient spends a lot of time in front of a computer all day?
Dr. Smick: Often times patients’ symptoms of tired eyes and headaches at the end of the day are telltale signs of prolonged computer use. Patients also complain of red eyes, dryness, difficulty focusing, and eyestrain.
Are there signs that reveal exposure to harmful blue light?
Dr. Smick: It is difficult to diagnose whether or not a patient has been exposed to a large amount of Blue-Violet light, but we know that macular changes can occur secondary to lipofuscin, brownish pigment particles, that result from exposure.
What do you suggest patients do to protect their eyes while sitting at a computer or working on other digital devices?
Dr. Smick: I advise my patients to add a layer of protection to their eyes by wearing lenses that not only reduce glare but also block harmful blue light. Crizal® Prevencia™ No-Glare lenses are a good option as they selectively block only those wavelengths that are most harmful and continue to let the “good” wavelengths pass through the lens.[/quote]
Hmmm, better safe than sorry. 
news.essilorusa.com/stories/deta … -led-light
I use f.lux, which does a similar thing in software: It reduces the blue in your display after the sun goes down. The impact on my sleepiness in the evenings is pretty amazing.
If you want to reduce the strain in your eyes due to screens, I recommend to get polarized lenses. They don’t play well with some 3D movies, though.
Does anybody have any recommendations for blue light glasses that looks decent for wear at work?
These are the glasses I bought. You can get them in major bookstores, and they come in two different colors: black and white. The best part about them is they can be worn over regular glasses. They’re also cheap enough (less than $400) that you can buy two pairs and keep one at work and one at home. They look fairly decent, if not a bit oversized. But it’s not like you’ll be walking around while wearing them. You only put them on when using the computer in your cubicle.
[quote=“Incubus”]I’m a bit surprised by how few people have chimed in on this topic given the number of regular desk-bound computer users on this site. But then there’s only one other person in my company who’s donning the glasses. Maybe you’re still in your 20s and vision loss is the last thing that concerns you. But if you’re over 40 and stare at a computer/tablet on a daily basis for more than 3 hours at a stretch, this is something you ought to look into (no pun intended). The only advice I got from my eye doctor is you should let your eyes rest for at least five minutes every hour. Resting doesn’t have to be shutting your eyes; it can simply be looking out the window at something (preferrably greenery) far away. I also did some more research into this and found this:
[quote]
Why should we be concerned about blue light?
Dr. Smick: It’s the high-energy Blue-Violet light that we have to worry about. Recent studies have shown that this wavelength of light is a risk factor for retinal damage and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which leads to central vision loss. As we incorporate more and more LED light into our environment, there is a greater need for protection from high-energy light sources.
During an eye examination, can you tell if a patient spends a lot of time in front of a computer all day?
Dr. Smick: Often times patients’ symptoms of tired eyes and headaches at the end of the day are telltale signs of prolonged computer use. Patients also complain of red eyes, dryness, difficulty focusing, and eyestrain.
Are there signs that reveal exposure to harmful blue light?
Dr. Smick: It is difficult to diagnose whether or not a patient has been exposed to a large amount of Blue-Violet light, but we know that macular changes can occur secondary to lipofuscin, brownish pigment particles, that result from exposure.
What do you suggest patients do to protect their eyes while sitting at a computer or working on other digital devices?
Dr. Smick: I advise my patients to add a layer of protection to their eyes by wearing lenses that not only reduce glare but also block harmful blue light. Crizal[REGISTERED SIGN] Prevencia[TRADE MARK SIGN] No-Glare lenses are a good option as they selectively block only those wavelengths that are most harmful and continue to let the “good” wavelengths pass through the lens.[/quote]
Hmmm, better safe than sorry.
news.essilorusa.com/stories/deta … -led-light[/quote]
It really does not bother you that there are no links to peer-reviewed sources? I am seriously asking here.
I foudn this, but it’s 10 years old and sort of inconclusive.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350946204000412
I got mine from a local glasses shop. I think they’re called “blue cut” glasses. They were more spendy (about 2000) but you can choose any frame you want and make them prescription for more money perhaps (I don’t need a prescription so not sure).
Novaspes I did see some research that had me convinced, unfortunately not sure where I found it (it was peer-reviewed and the methods appeared decent enough- they drew blood to check melatonin levels if memory serves.) I will have a look and try to post it if/when I find it again.
[quote=“Novaspes”]
It really does not bother you that there are no links to peer-reviewed sources? I am seriously asking here.
I foudn this, but it’s 10 years old and sort of inconclusive.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350946204000412[/quote]
Sure it bothers me. I even suspected that Doctor Smick was in collusion with the glasses maker. But it bothers me more that staring at the monitor may cause me to lose my eyesight somewhere down the road. I used to just dim the monitor when my eyes got tired from looking at it, but it didn’t really help. Having been wearing them for about two weeks now, I haven’t felt the same eye fatigue as before. Either way, I’d rather err on the side of caution.
I try to keep my devices on reduced blue light as much as possible.
I watched something a while back that had a completely different viewpoint.
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