| By now most of us know that the exposure to bright blue light at night is very harmful to our health and eliminating this threat can greatly improve our health and quality of life. Most of us also know that our 24 hours circadian rhythms, which control all aspects of our health and behavior, are also synchronized with the blue part of the light spectrum which signals the daybreak to our master clock located in the central region of our brain. |
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| What we may not know is that exposure to the bright blue light, during the morning and early hours of the day, is as important as blocking it at night. Therefore, while we need ample amount of bright light during the day, we need total darkness at night. Scientific studies point to the life-threatening health problems that can occur when bright blue light suppresses the production and secretion of melatonin at night, which in turn causes sleep disorders and circadian rhythms disruption. |
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| With the market full of blue blockers that claim to stop the blue light, the first question is how to choose the best one for the purpose and the price. Blue blocker is a generic term that refers to any lens that filters out the blue light before entering the retina. Blue blockers are not all created equally when it comes to quality, technology, design and ultimately style. There are no industry standards that regulate how they are made and what companies can or cannot claim. But these are all issues that can easily be deciphered in order to make a smart choice that can really change your life quality and health. Following is a guide to shop the best blue blocker for your money: |
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1. Lens Quality
When choosing a blue blocker the lens is where the buck stops. Companies have been marketing any lens that stops anywhere from 20% to 99% of blue light as blue blockers. Well, technically they are correct, but the practice is somewhat deceiving. Any lens that blocks less than 98% of blue light is not a Virtual Darkness lens, meaning it does not eliminate enough of the blue light to convince the brain that it is night and time to secrete melatonin on full capacity. Therefore glasses that are blocking less than 98% of blue light cannot be categorized as sleep glasses or circadian rhythms glasses. |
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| The blue blockers made to reduce the amount of blue light reaching the retina by around 35% are only helpful for eye strain from overexposure to blue light. They are also called computer glasses. There is no scientific study that shows these lenses do anything for melatonin secretion, circadian rhythms adjustment, or sleep quality and duration. Only virtual darkness lenses, like ORPHEUS, which have proven to eliminate 99% of the blue light are the most appropriate for sleep and general health reasons. |
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2. Classifications and Standards
It is also very important to pay attention to classifications and standards that are the stamps of approval for the claimed quality. Although any lens manufacturer can claim that their lenses can filter a certain percentage of blue light, look for whether the lens is registered as a class 1 medical device with the European authority or the FDA in the USA. These are sure marks of reliability and quality. Do not accept anything less. Medical device certification accompanies periodic random test on the lenses by a third party. |
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3. Form Follows Function
As the main purpose of these glasses is to eliminate blue light from reaching the retina in order to promote the natural production and secretion of melatonin, it is important to pay close attention to the form of the eyewear. The dedicated photoreceptors that signal the existence of blue light to the brain are none visual and very sensitive to peripheral light. In other words, look for glasses that wrap your face and are a snug fit. Your face is not flat, therefore avoid flat frames which allow too much light to leak to the eyes from all sides. |
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5. Style
There are many choices out there when it comes to style. After all, we are talking about eyewear and there is an established tradition there. Remember however to avoid models that do not consider the function as an integral part of the design and forget that these glasses first and foremost must eliminate virtually all blue light from reaching your eyes. Great virtual darkness eyewear functions by blocking the light approaching from all directions while lets you looking and feeling stylish. Most importantly it will improve your health and life quality. |
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