"Blue-light glasses" covers two very different products, and the research treats them differently.
Clear lenses
Most clear "computer" lenses filter only about 10 to 25% of blue light. A 2023 review of 17 randomized trials found they may offer no short-term benefit for eye strain from screens, and the evidence on sleep was unclear.
Amber lenses
Amber lenses filter far more of the blue-green light your body clock responds to. In a small 2018 Columbia University trial, 14 people with insomnia slept about 30 minutes longer on nights they wore amber glasses for two hours before bed, compared with clear placebo glasses (Shechter et al., Journal of Psychiatric Research). It was a small study, and larger ones are needed.
How we use them
- Amber, not clear, and only in the evening.
- Put them on about two hours before bed.
- Red lenses for the very end of the night.
- Never while driving: tinted lenses change how you see traffic lights.
Educational content, not medical advice. Our glasses are not medical devices.