03/06/2025
Lenses that help sleep and attention.
Ophthalmologists sometime implant blue-light blocking lenses during cataract surgery as a way to prevent retinal damage. But as doctors have begun to realize how powerfully light affects brain function, some have wondered whether this blocking may have negative effects. A new study of 13 people who underwent surgery for cataracts found that UV-blocking lenses that allow blue light to enter resulted in better sleep and cognitive abilities than that offered by other types of lenses. Clear lenses increased slow-wave sleep time by roughly 50 percent and boosted performance on sustained attention tests by an average 70 percent, compared with amber lenses that block part of the blue light. Additional research is needed.
Dr. Novak has always used clear lenses and will continue to do so.
This article was taken from the AARP magazine by Jacqueline Detwiler with Sari Harrar
