Back to School: Protect Your Child's Eyes From Blue Light

By Astrid Graterol on Sep 10, 2020 @ 11:30 AM

With kids heading back to school, parents will be doing everything they can to keep them safe. Blue light protection should be something for parents to keep in mind this fall. While most classes may not be entirely remote anymore, your child is still likely to be engaging in more screen activity this school year. Remote learning will have your child using a computer, laptop, or tablet to attend online classes. For those students attending classes in person, they will most likely have to use technology to access homework, supplementary class material, and more; both in and outside the classroom, exposing them to blue light. Here are a few reasons why you should consider blue light protection lenses.

First Things First, What Is Blue Light?

Blue light is something we are exposed to naturally every day from the sun. Naturally, blue light is good for us because our bodies use it to regulate our sleep cycle but the artificial blue light that emits from the screens of our devices can be harmful. Most children will not know how it feels to be exposed to too much blue light so parents should be sure to look for the following symptoms:

Eye Fatigue & Headaches

Exposure to digital screens and blue light can lead to digital eye strain, which is known to cause headaches, eye redness, eye dryness, and eye fatigue. Using blue light protection lenses will help limit these symptoms from happening, keeping your child well enough to focus on their schoolwork.

Sleep Disruption

With the amount of blue light contact your child will experience their sleep pattern may become irregulated. Digital blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, which can reduce your child’s quality of sleep.

Solution

Ask your child’s optometrist about blue light-blocking lenses. Even if your child does not have a prescription to wear glasses, there are non-prescription glasses designed to block blue light and reduce the negative effects on your child’s eyes. Another thing you can do to help your child avoid headaches and eye fatigue is to take frequent breaks from electronic devices by using the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of digital device or computer use, take a 20-second long break and look at something 20 feet or beyond. You can also, lower the brightness on digital devices to lessen digital eye strain. To make up for the loss of after-school sports activities, separate time for your kids to get active outside your home and protect them from UV light from the sun with sunglasses. There are also healthy food options that can improve eye health! Learn more about these delicious food items by downloading our Food for Eye Health guide.