People like us, who spend the majority of our time in front of computer screens, generally suffer from two major problems; eye strain and disturbed sleep-wake cycle.
These effects depend on the time we use a computer. Now, this computer usage timing can be classified into two categories – daytime and nighttime. Using a computer in the daytime doesn’t have much effect on our eyes. These bright lights are crucial for us in the morning. But during the night (in a dark room), it is a curse. Major night usage, along with eye strain, also screws with our sleep-wake cycle.
Why Do We Get Eye Strain?
When the muscle inside of the eye that controls focusing is overworked, symptoms can occur. In many cases, these symptoms will not start immediately, but only after several hours of work. When the muscle in the eye becomes fatigued, the eyes may feel uncomfortable or ache. The vision may blur off and on. A mild headache can occur if the eyes continue to work.
How Does It Affect Our Sleep-Wake Cycle?
A study shows that the bright light of a computer screen alters the body’s ” biological settings ” and affects the production of melatonin which is important for a normal sleep-wake cycle. When it gets dark in the evening, a part of the brain called the pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin, which acts as a signal for our body and brain that it is time to get tired and go to sleep. Melatonin is a hormone in the body that helps regulate a person’s sleeping and waking hours. Experts say that staring at a bright screen in a dark room alters the amount of melatonin produced and a decline in melatonin production is often considered a reason for sleep problems.
Ways To Fix Computer-Related Eye Strain :
1. Adjust Your Monitor’s Brightness
Your screen is the real culprit. The first thing to do is to reduce the monitor brightness. Bright light coming from your screen is the main reason behind these problems. These “low brightness settings” may work differently for different persons, so adjust the settings that suit you the most.
2. Using The Software
My favorite software for adjusting these settings is f.lux. f.lux, instead of reducing the brightness, warms the computer screen according to time. It puts a layer of warm colour on your screen. After downloading f.lux, the first thing to do is to provide your location. f.lux uses your location to calculate the sunrise and sunset timing to provide you with the best screen settings when you’re using your computer. This “warming the computer screen” thing might be confusing to you right now but trust me you’ll understand once you use it.
3. Buying Computer Readers
Computer readers are special glasses that have protective coatings on their lenses designed to reduce the effect of blue lights. these glasses are not very expensive and are available on the web.
4. Adjust Your Monitor Position
For optimal comfort, your monitor should be 20-28 inches away from your eyes. And the top of the monitor must be at your eye level.
5. Take Breaks
Constantly staring at your computer screen for a long time can give you computer vision syndrome. A perfect technique for taking quick breaks is the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, find an object about 20 feet away and stare at it for 20 seconds. This works as an exercise for your eyes and also gives them a break from bright lights.
Do these techniques work for you? Share your experience with us in the comments section below!
