I Tested These Glasses Because Screens Are Slowly Killing Me

I spend most of my day in front of a screen; it's not healthy, but it's where we are in 2018. I write all day on my desktop at the office and come home at night to Netflix on my laptop. My medically aware parents remind me that so much screen time strains my eyes, causes slouching, and interrupts my sleep, but like any addict, I can’t quit. So when I learned that Tom Ford was launching a line of blue light–blocking glasses, I jumped at the opportunity to attempt to combat some of the harm caused by my constant face time with my MacBook. 

Tom Ford isn't the first brand to release a protective blue-blocking lens, but it is the first luxury retailer to enter the space. This month, the brand launched 10 styles of lenses that are designed to help protect your eyes.

Blue light can interfere with your ability to fall asleep, interrupting circadian rhythm and suppressing melatonin, and as someone who already struggles to go to bed, it's plenty possible that screen time was making things significantly worse for me. Additionally, studies have shown that the strong LED light from computer screens can also spur migraines and cause eye strain.

Before I started my week-long endeavor into wearing glasses, I shared my plans on both my personal Instagram and Who What Wear's Instagram Story, and I was surprised to find that there was a whole range of women who were either curious to know the results or had tested the glasses already. One mentioned that the glasses had helped cure migraines. Another noted that since wearing them at night, she'd noticed she had a much easier time falling asleep, all good indications in my opinion.

So I rolled into work on Monday morning under-caffeinated and a bit groggy but excited to start the experience. As I put on the glasses, they immediately cast a yellowish glow on the room around me, screen included. Looks-wise the lenses themselves were highly reflective, making them not-quite ideal for selfies (see my feeble attempt above), but, hey, this experiment is not meant for Instagram anyway.

While at the office, I didn’t notice too much of a difference between when I was wearing the glasses and when I wasn’t, but when I got home at night, I immediately noticed a change. I found that with the glasses on, I actually grew tired more quickly, shutting down my Parks and Rec marathon earlier than I might usually. And once the lights were off, I quickly drifted off, when typically it can take me half an hour or more.

Since melatonin is the hormone that makes you sleepy, it makes sense that by limiting the screen’s blue glare, I found myself ready to fall asleep faster than usual. In the morning, I felt less groggy, and while I’ve become a habitual alarm-snoozer, it was surprisingly easy to pop out of bed.

I’ve never worn glasses in the past, but after just a week of road-testing these blue-blocking lenses, I’m resolving to keep a pair by my bed. While my job (and period drama habit) make it impossible to unplug completely, I’m going about things in the healthiest way I can (how’s that for a resolution?). If you can’t unplug either, consider picking a pair up below.