Which Screen Mode is Best for Your Eyes?

So many of us spend the majority of our days looking at a screen, whether it’s for work on a laptop or on social media. For example, in the US the average screen time per day is seven hours and 3 minutes.¹ This screen usage can negatively affect our eyes over time causing dryness, eye strain, nearsightedness, and sleeping issues.

Luckily, there are some things you can do to help mitigate these effects such as using different screen modes to help your vision and enhance it as well as protecting your eyes with blue light-blocking glasses. Explore the best screen modes for your eye health below, pros and cons as well as our recommendations for eyewear solutions.

Understanding The 5 Different Screen Modes

Depending on what you are doing with your screen, whether reading or working at night, the right choice of screen mode can help your eyes.

Standard Mode: The Default Display Setting

Standard mode is the screen without any special settings, it’s ideal for daily usage when doing brief tasks like web browsing or video watching in normal environments. This mode is also best when you are performing tasks that need color accuracy such as photo editing, design, or any other work that needs high visual detail. The downside to standard mode is that it has a high brightness and glare and also gives blue light exposure. This can negatively impact your eyes when looking at the screen for long periods, especially at night which can affect sleep.

Night Mode/Dark Mode: Popular For Evening Use

Night mode is great for when you're working late at night on your screen, using it a few hours before bed can help minimize the effects blue light has on your sleep. Benefits Of Night Mode For Eye Health: Reduced brightness and contrast - This helps you read off your screen in low light without straining your eyes. Reduction of blue light emission - It minimizes exposure to blue light which has been linked to sleep disturbances and retinal damage, it does this by turning the screen color warmer. Improved sleep - It prevents blue light from affecting your melatonin production for healthier sleep cycles.

When To Use Dark Mode: Late-night sessions - Great for reading or browsing at night to reduce the risk of sleep disruptions. Low-light environments - Use in dimly lit rooms where bright screens seem too harsh.

Blue Light Filter Mode: Targeting Digital Eye Strain

Blue light filter mode is ideal for protecting your eyes from digital eye strain any time of the day. How Blue Light Filter Mode Works: Reduce blue light emission - This filter reduces exposure to higher-energy wavelengths emitted by screens. Improves comfort during prolonged use - Helps reduce symptoms such as dry eyes, headaches, and blurred vision which can happen during extended screen time.

When To Use Blue Light Filter Mode: Long screen sessions - Great for office work, studying, or any activity that has a lot of screen time. Evening use - Can be used when you are using a device in the evening and will help minimize sleep disruption.

Reading Mode: Optimized For Extended Reading

If you have trouble focusing your eyes when reading on a screen this mode can help. Benefits Of Reading Mode: Paper-like experience - The color is adjusted to a warmer tone for a more paper-like look. Reduced glare and brightness - The muted colors and low brightness make it easier on your eyes during low-light conditions.

When To Use Reading Mode: Long reading sessions - Best for reading ebooks, articles, or any other long-form text on devices. Low-light conditions - Ideal for reading in low-lit environments where harsh bright light from a screen can cause discomfort.

Auto Mode (Adaptive Brightness): Intelligent Brightness Adjustment

Most devices now come with an auto mode that will adjust modes for you rather than having to remember to switch them on or off manually. How Auto Mode Helps With Eye Health: Auto mode can help optimize brightness during low light conditions or during the day. It can also help reduce glare, it does this according to the environment you are in. It can also reduce brightness and turn on night mode to relieve strain on your eyes.

When To Use: Auto mode can be switched on all the time. It will help adjust your screen in varied lighting environments for you automatically, protecting your eye health and helping your vision.

Recommended Eyewear For Digital Eye Strain

If you're trying to look after your eyes while looking at screens, you can also use special eyewear in addition to screen modes to help reduce the effect screens have on your eyes.

We recommend the following -

• Blue Light Blocking Glasses - These glasses have a special filter to help block out blue light and reduce eye strain while looking at screens. Learn more here.

• Anti-Reflective Glasses - These can help reduce reflections and glares from screens which helps with eye strain. Learn more about the difference between anti-reflective and anti-glare coatings here.

• Computer Glasses - Specifically designed to help with blue light, glare, and eye fatigue. Some of these glasses have a little magnification to help make reading easier on the screen. Find out more here.

Shop Our Digital Eye Strain Eyewear At GlassesShop

At GlassesShop we have customized lens options so you can find the perfect eyewear combination for your needs. We have single vision, reading, bifocal, and progressive lenses to meet all your different needs. We also have different coatings for your lenses such as anti-scratch, anti-reflective, and superhydrophobic coating. All our glasses come with a 30-day exchange and 365-day guarantee for buyer's confidence. Find your blue light-blocking glasses and computer glasses today.