Get Rid of GlareĮxtra glare on the computer screen makes your eyes work harder as they try to decipher the text. This is considered the optimal spot by researchers. Keep your monitor just below your eye level and about 20 to 28 inches away from your eyes. However, you don’t want your screen to be too far away either. If your computer is too close to your face, your eyes will have to strain to stay focused. However, if you work in front of a computer, you won’t be able to just quit your job. The most obvious change is to cut down on your screen use, especially in the hour or two before bedtime.
If your eyes are struggling, you’ll need to make some changes. If you stay up late using a tablet or a computer, and then you don’t sleep well, you’ll only be contributing to your eyes’ dryness, strain, and discomfort, along with the other adverse effects of sleep deprivation. Consequently, those using screens don’t feel sleepy, so they stay up late and have trouble when they finally go to bed.
The researchers believe that the blue wavelengths electronic screens emit interfere with the production of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone. The group that read on a backlit device took ten minutes longer to fall asleep and didn’t sleep as deeply as the group that read printed pages. A Boston, Massachusetts group of researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital did a study on the effects of reading on a tablet before bedtime versus reading a printed book before bed. Most screens are backlit with blue light, which can interfere with your sleep cycle. Viewing computer screens for hours can affect more than your eyes. Computer Screens, Your Eyes, and Your Sleep Habits While computer vision syndrome may be unpleasant, if you take some time off from the computer, your eyes will get the rest they need and start feeling better again. However, rest assured that you are probably not doing your eyes permanent damage. All of that staring can dry out your eyes, which contributes to the irritation. Usually we blink around 15 to 20 times per minute, but when reading a screen, we often blink only half that amount. The glare, flickers, and screen contrast on a computer screen require even more from your vision.Īdditionally, when using computers, many people forget to blink. Just reading from a page for a long time can be hard for your eyes, with all the eye movement and close-up focus the task requires, and computers make the problem worse. Like carpal tunnel syndrome, the condition is caused by repetitive use: your eyes work hard to keep reading on a computer screen, and they get tired. These symptoms are often called computer vision syndrome. None of these symptoms are fun, and if they’re severe enough, the quality of your work may suffer. You’re not alone-at least 50 percent of those who work in front of a computer report eye issues, but the number may be closer to 90 percent. If your work involves heavy computer use, you may notice eye trouble. You’ll learn how screens affect your vision and your health and what you can do about it. If you’d like to know more about the relationship between your eyes and your computer, keep reading. You may worry that you’re permanently damaging your eyes, or you might wonder what you can do to deal with the discomfort. Staring at a screen for hours at a time can take a toll on your sight.
If you work in front of a computer all day, you may notice that your eyes get tired, dry, or itchy.