Blue-Light Filtering Glasses May Help Improve Sleep Quality and Task Performance

Digital screens emit blue light, which can have negative consequences on the eyes, including strain, dry or watery eyes, irritated eyes, and may also disrupt the circadian rhythm. Blue light filtering glasses have specially crafted lenses that are said to block or filter out the blue light given off from digital screens. A recent study has found that blue-light filtering glasses may help improve sleep quality, work engagement, and task performance.

Participants in the study included 130 adults who worked in a call center. They wore blue-light filtering glasses for 1 week 2 hours before bedtime and then wore placebo glasses for 1 week 2 hours before bedtime. The researchers evaluated sleep quality, length of time spent sleeping, work engagement, and task performance. 

During the week they wore the blue-light filtering glasses, participants reported an average 12.5% improvement in sleep quality and a 5.5% increase in time spent sleeping, They also saw a 9% increase in task performance and an 8% increase in work engagement. The results were most significant in participants who tended to have sleep periods later in the day (night owls).

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Washington and the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. It was published online ahead of print on October 15, 2020 in the Journal of Applied Psychology.