This may seem like a temporary reprieve from the harmful effects of blue light, but that’s not necessarily the case. After all, the sun emits the majority of the blue light our eyes are exposed to. So, before you reach for just any pair of new shades, consider adding some extra protection to your sunglasses.

Why We Protect Our Eyes From the Sun

The sun is the primary source of harmful UV light and intense blue light that decreases visual clarity and can potentially harm your retina. We’re all told at a young age to not stare directly into the sun, but the light emitted is so powerful that humans should wear sunglasses even when the light is less direct and reflecting off the atmosphere around us.

You may already instinctively wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun’s UV rays, but what about all of that blue light? Do your sunglasses include protection for both?

Leveling Up Your Sunglasses

These days, any pair of sunglasses worth its weight in plastic should shield your eyes from harmful UV rays. But this summer, take it a step further and add blue light protection to your shades. You’ll lower your risk of blue light-related health concerns and you may find you sleep more restfully. This is because blue light disrupts our natural melatonin production cycle and can delay your natural bedtime.

And because the blue light protection will blend seamlessly into the sunglass lenses, you won’t lose out on any style points!

Get ready for National Sunglasses Day which is right around the corner. National Sunglasses Day is on June 27th.  The Vision Council’s official hashtag to celebrate is #NationalSunglassesDay and #SunglassSelfie. What are you doing on National Sunglasses Day?

To add BluTech protection to sunglasses, contact a dealer near you. Visit our dealer locator page to find one in your neck of the woods: https://blutechlenses.com/dealers/.

According to the World Health Organization, children under five years old must spend less time sitting watching screens, get better quality sleep and have more time for active play if they are to grow up healthy.

The recently published guidelines state that the younger the child, the more serious the implications. Specifically, infants one years of age and younger should have no sedentary screen time on electronic devices, such as watching TV or videos and playing computer games. For children ages three to four, sedentary screen time should be capped under an hour.

“Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains” said WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. And with 80% of adolescents not physically active enough worldwide, the long-term effects of correcting this could compound into massive changes.

If established early in life, the healthy habits of less screen time and more physical movement plus sound sleep will follow children through adolescence and into adulthood. These will strengthen not only physical health, but mental as well.

Putting it to Practice

Ok, you understand the new guidelines and they make sense. But how do you put them to work in real life?

Try putting active playtime back into your children’s routine. Instead of sedentary pastimes like a movie, streaming TV shows, video games or games on the phone, immerse your children in more active play like reading, storytelling, singing and puzzles. These forms of interactive play are crucial for childhood development according to the WHO guidelines.

And when the times arise when your children are allowed to spend time on screens, protect their eyes from the harmful effects of blue light. Not only can this help prevent Computer Vision Syndrome, but the melatonin-suppressing effects of blue light can interfere with a good night’s sleep, which all children need plenty of.

To learn more about BluTech protection for your children, visit here.