Bracebridge Family Eyecare

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5 Ways to Minimize Eye Strain During Screen Time

Screen-time is inevitable for most - follow these tips to minimize eye strain while using digital devices:

  1. Good lighting!

    Provide yourself with as much natural light as possible in your work area. If glare is an issue you can consider a matte screen filter for your computer.

  2. Follow the 20-20-20 rule.

    Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. This gives your eyes a chance to reset and change focus.

  3. Maintain distance from your screen.

    This is especially important for children who tend to hold screens very close to their faces. When anything is held very close to our eyes, the strain on the visual system is increased.

  4. Consider a desk humidifier.

    Our blink rate is majorly decreased when staring at a screen. You should consciously remind yourself to blink to keep your eyes moisturized, and can even consider a desk-size humidifier to avoid dry eye.

  5. Avoid screens before bed.

    Digital screens should be avoided at least 1-hour before sleep. Although damage to your eyes from blue light emitted from our screens is not necessarily proven, it is proven that late-night screen-time can interrupt our natural sleep cycles.