All modern screens emit blue light. The blue part of the visible light spectrum has the highest energy (as opposed to the warmer red side which has the least). Why is this important? During daylight, our brain produces a chemical called Serotonin which is partly due to the presence of blue light. This gives us energy, increases our levels of alertness and affects our mood. At night Serotonin production stops and in its place we produce Melatonin, which calms us and helps us sleep. If this balance is lost, it affects our mood and causes sleep deprivation-think seasonal affective disorder and jet lag as some examples.
We are all using screens a lot more during the Covid pandemic, either because we work from home which inevitably results in longer working hours, due to home schooling, online meetings and workshops or to pass the time with online games and movies. And the later we keep these screens on, the more we suffer from this chemical imbalance between Serotonin & Melatonin. The result is sleep deprivation, tiredness, lack of concentration and stress. I believe that many cases of ADD & ADHD are either misdiagnosed or their symptoms are exacerbated because of this. I also believe that sleep deprivation is a serious thing which affects a whole host of maladies like headaches, weight gain and hypertension.
To try and normalise things, take a 20 minute break every 20 minutes (it’s easy to remember the 20/20 rule); check your posture and hydration levels; get 20 minutes of sunlight exposure a day, and if you can’t avoid long hours in front of your screen, get a blue blocker coating on your lenses. This blocks out the most harmful of the blue rays from entering your eyes and can be added to any prescription lenses. If you don’t wear specs, we have ready-made non-prescription specs with the blue blocker added in stock.
If screens leave your eyes tired, book an eye examination at Paul Moldovanos Optometrist, our family optometry practice in Roodepoort, Johannesburg.