Blue light is a hot topic when it comes to commercial LED retrofitting. There’s a lot of scaremongering that’s going around about the effects of blue light on health, sleep patterns, and eyesight. Let’s bust those myths down to size. First, let’s talk about blue light.
What is Blue Light?
Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum but is not part of ultraviolet light but exists right on the border of beneficial light and harmful light. It is present in daylight, and also in devices such as smartphones, tablets, computer screens, televisions, and LED lighting fixtures. Blue light – since it is present in daylight – tells our bodies to stay awake.blue light can cause digital eyestrainBlue light is a part of the visible light spectrum but is not part of ultraviolet light but exists right on the border of beneficial light and harmful light. It is present in daylight, and also in devices such as smartphones, tablets, computer screens, televisions, and LED lighting fixtures. Blue light – since it is present in daylight – tells our bodies to stay awake.
Is Blue Light Bad?
Blue light as emitted by devices we use every day can negatively affect the quality of our sleep, circadian rhythms, and how we feel the next morning. For people who use computers at work, or must watch monitors, watch a lot of television, or use a tablet or smartphone frequently, blue light can cause digital eyestrain. Because of this effect, ophthalmologists recommend that you utilize nighttime settings on smartphones and tablets or put away devices and turn off the television 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
However, at this time there is no clinical evidence that blue light exposure contributes to any eye diseases or other pathologies.
Moderation is Key
Avoiding overexposure to blue light in a commercial or institutional environment depends on selecting the right intensity of light for the task at hand. When selecting products for commercial LED retrofitting keep in mind that brightest is not always best. Whether indoors or out, choosing dimmable LED lamps allows the intensity of the light to be varied per with the time of day, the environment in which it has been installed, and the activities being done in that area.
