These Blue Light Screen Protectors Can Help Improve Your Sleep, According to Research
These Blue Light Screen Protectors Can Help Improve Your Sleep, According to Research
Sleep scientists put this blue-light-blocking product to the test with some promising results.
If you've noticed a serious downturn in your sleeping patterns and a simultaneous uptick in your screen time lately, it's probably not a coincidence. The negative effects of excessive screen time on sleep—particularly screen time at night—are well documented. Scrolling through your phone in bed or answering emails on your laptop late at night can keep you from getting the recommended amount of sleep for several reasons. One, what you're doing (reading, replying, posting, consuming) is mentally and emotionally stimulating, waking you up when you're supposed to be winding down. But another piece of it has to do with blue light.
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Blue light—short, high-energy wavelengths on the visible light spectrum—occurs naturally in sunlight and plays a key role in helping us maintain healthy circadian rhythms. Our bodies naturally associate it with waking hours. Blue light is one of our natural cues that it's daytime, it boosts our alertness and energy, and it improves our mood. The problem is that our devices emit blue light, too, which means we're exposed to these daytime light waves long after the naturally occurring blue light outside fades. We're basically giving ourselves mixed messages about when we're supposed to be awake and asleep. Cue the frustrating insomnia and fatigue.
Blue-light-blocking glasses have become a popular product for trying to protect against overexposure to screen-emitted, nighttime blue light—but there are also options out there to cover your screen itself. EyeJust blue-light-blocking screen protectors recently underwent hefty analysis by the scientists at SleepScore Labs, a sleep science company that studies the effectiveness of sleep-improvement products through rigorous data-backed research.
SleepScore Labs' 17th product validation study in just three years found that EyeJust's blue light filter technology does, in fact, block "harmful blue light at the source, without changing the color of the screen, helping to protect sleep, eyes and skin," a press release stated.
But how do they really know that these screen protectors work? Twenty-four study participants who were regularly exposed to blue light from screens after sunset, and who experienced eye strain, used EyeJust's screen protectors on iPads and MacBooks. Using both objective and reported data, researchers evaluated each participant's sleep for six weeks, comparing their sleep patterns with and without using EyeJust filters on their screens (three weeks of using EyeJust compared to three weeks without).
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Participants report major improvements to their sleep when putting a blue-light-blocking screen on their devices. They reported feeling more rested and satisfied with their sleep, with 71 percent saying EyeJust generally helped them sleep better, and 92 percent saying it helped reduce gadget-induced eye strain. They also reported an increase in healthy bedtime sleepiness (4 percent) and an increase in how quickly they fell asleep (12 percent faster), while also noting a decrease in how often they woke up in the middle of the night (13 percent) and how long they were up, if they woke up in the middle of the night (12 percent).
Anecdotal evidence is one thing, but SleepScore Labs also used its highly accurate non-contact at-home tracking sleep technology to put the filters to the test. The objective measurements uncovered undeniable sleep improvements, particularly in younger participants between 21 and 35 years old. They achieved more REM sleep (crucial for learning, memory, mood, and much more) and scored 10 more minutes of sleep per night on average.
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"Most people love spending time on their mobile device or laptops all day long, even after the sun has set," said Roy Raymann, PhD, chief scientific officer at SleepScore Labs. "The light emitted by the displays might trick your brain into thinking it is still daytime and sleep time is not even close. Using EyeJust screen protectors will reduce your exposure to unneeded and unwanted blue light after sunset, which is easier on your eyes and limits the negative effects of screen illumination on sleep."
The simplest, wisest, and cheapest option to mitigate blue light exposure will always be to avoid screen time once it gets dark—or at least an hour or two before bed. But life is busy and it's hard not to be tempted by our tech. If you struggle to stay offline—or you're required to be online—at night, you may want to look into getting some easy-to-apply (and scientifically validated) screen covers for your phone, tablet, or computer.
EyeJust Blue Light Blocking Screen Protectors are available starting at $35 (for an iPhone protector) and up at amazon.com.
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