I've always liked to read before falling asleep. (Currently I'm inching through Lost Crafts: Rediscovering Traditional Skills [affiliate link] two or three pages at a time. Will I ever thatch a roof? Probably not. But I like reading about how to do it.) Apparently just six minutes of reading before bed can help improve sleep, dreaming, etc. etc. and lately that's about all I've needed to relax and feel drowsy.
Before the baby was born, of course, I had more time and energy for reading, and didn't mind whiling away late hours with a book. But I would often turn the light off early in frustration because after a day of sitting in front of a computer screen, my eyes were so dry that reading was uncomfortable.
That and a couple of other issues (headaches, slightly blurred distance vision esp while driving) sent me to the eye doctor. I barely required a prescription though, and dragged my feet so much about getting glasses, that I just...never did. It didn't help that I was also trying to survive the first trimester of pregnancy at the same time. Anything that wasn't on this list just wasn't a priority.
Maybe two months ago, I was scrolling online while holding a napping baby, and came across blue light filtering glasses. Was it an article? A Facebook ad? I honestly can't remember! But they were supposed to conquer a lot of the issues I was experiencing, which all fell under the diagnosis of "digital eye strain." I try to be mindful of screen time – I mean, I turn on "night shift" on my phone to reduce blue light exposure before bed – so why not manage blue light exposure all the time? I was about to head back to work after maternity leave and figured as a web and social media manager I spend enough time in front of a screen, I should at least give them a try.
(Is this starting to sound like a sponsored post? It's not, I promise! I mentioned them here and got a few questions about how they're working so I thought I'd follow up with a review – and some sleepy-eyed pictures :)
I ordered a pair of frames from here (they were more affordable than these, which are I think a little more stylish, but I wanted to make sure they work for me before I spend more than $25. Plus you can use Ebates [referral link] to take a bit more off).
And after a month of wearing them daily while in the office, I'm so pleased to say yes, they work!
(And that I've washed my hair since these pictures were taken, ha!)
My chronic dry eye issue hasn't just improved, it's resolved. It's honestly gone. Plus I'm having fewer headaches, and I haven't noticed that blurred-distance-driving thing again. The glasses are not prescription (although it seems like you can have the blue light protection added to prescription lenses no matter where you order them), they're comfortable, and I think they're pretty cute too. 10/10 would recommend! Let me know if you try them too.
