The average working hours of any organization are 8-9 hours. In the post-covid era, companies have shifted to permanent work-from-home culture. School students have had their classroom time replaced with regular zoom calls. In most families, every member is dependent on the digital screen for work and entertainment. Late-night binge-watching sessions or scrolling our social feed has been a part of our routine.
While technology has brought the world to our fingertips, it has also deprived us of our deep REM sleep-cycles and productivity. Did you know that most digital screens emit a harmful ray known as blue light? This light decreases the secretion of the melatonin hormone, which is responsible for maintaining your sleep-wake cycle. If you face eye strain, redness, itching, or not getting adequate sleep at night, your binge-watching could be the reason. Even while working, everyone needs to take breaks and relax for some time; you can even consult your doctor and wear computer glasses.
We usually blink about 15-20 times in a minute. This process spreads tears evenly in our eyes, which prevents them from getting dry or itchy. However, while watching, reading, or playing on a screen, we tend to blink less than half as often. Also, the contrast of text against the background, the glare, and flickering from digital screens can create pressure on your eyes and cause blurry vision.
Lifestyle fixes and remedies to prevent digital eye strain:
Adjust the lighting:
There are customized settings in most computers, laptops, and mobiles to adjust the brightness according to the room’s light. Try to use soft light at night while reading or watching anything and avoid watching the screen in darkness.
Take breaks.
Take occasional breaks and rest your eyes by looking away from the digital screen. Consider the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look away at an object 20 meters away for at least 20 seconds.
Adjust screen timings:
When your work hours are complete, engage in activities that don’t involve digital screens. This is especially important for children, who may not know the connection between screens and eyestrain. They need to rest their eyes regularly. In that case, the parents need to keep a watchful eye on their child’s screen time.
Improve the air quality of your space:
If you smoke, consider quitting. The digital rays and the smoke together can affect your vision and cause itchy and teary eyes. Try to sit in an airy space with enough light. Don’t place your laptop opposite the room’s light.
Reduce glare while working on the laptop:
Bright lighting and too much glare can strain your eyes and make it difficult to see objects on your monitor. Consider turning off some or all of the overhead lights. Close blinds or shades, and avoid placing your monitor directly in front of a window or white wall. Place an anti-glare cover over the screen.
Choose the proper eyewear
Consider using a pair of glasses with blue-cut glasses for men while working on the screen. In addition, you can use Intellilens’s blue light filtering glasses are made with high-quality TR90 frames that allow for maximum comfort and durability while you use your computers, smartphones, or any other digital devices. Our anti-glare blue light blocking computer glasses consist of the highest quality CR39 blue cut lenses with ultimate eye care. The blue-ray glasses provide UV protection and are equipped with an anti-glare coating and anti-reflective coating to provide an immersive eye care experience.
