If your mom has ever told you not to read in the dark or under the blanket with torchlight on, by the claim that it will ruin your eyesight, you are not alone.
Although it’s a popularly acclaimed notion especially among parents, we could not help but wonder how true this actually is.
Not so true, as it turns out.
For years doctors and scientists have been trying to debunk the myth that reading in dim light causes permanent damage to our eyes.
But also not forgetting the fact “myopia (or near-sightedness) could be partially caused by environmental factors during childhood” is still heavily debated among some scientists.
Why Can’t We See Well In The Dark?
Our ability to see well depends greatly on our optical system, such as our eye to detect detail. This ability is called resolution and it is affected by the amount of light that enters our eyes.
“ The more light the better the ability of our eyes to resolve fine details”
That’s why we have difficulty reading or seeing in the dark/ under dim light because we are limited by the amount of lights entering our eyes, thus diminishing our ability to distinguish fine details.
In dim lighting, the level of contrast decreases between black words written on a white page, so you will need to pull the book closer to your eyes in order to read the words better.
In response to that, the eyeballs and the muscles around the lens of your eyes (ciliary muscles) will be forced to make some adjustments. And doing so will put a strain on the eyes and cause eye fatigue, but this is only temporary discomfort.
Many people report headaches and even nausea from the tense muscles that are working harder than normal to focus on images.
“ What’s causing the headache is not so much the darkness as staring at something very close to your face.”
Genetically Related vs. Poor Reading Habit
Although genetic research shows that your family history plays a huge role in determining the extent of how well your vision is or if it will weaken at a certain age, some researchers argue that putting too much strain on your eyes at a very young age might contribute to the decline of your eyesight later in life.
One study concluded that the strain of reading in the dark, could signal the undeveloped eyes to grow in the wrong way, for example, nearsightedness occurs when the eye grows overly elongated.
Doctors theorize that if you strain your eyes during this time by forcing it to focus on near objects, you could upset this process of growth.
Despite circumstantial evidence that constantly straining your eyes can weaken your vision, most experts say that yes, reading in the dark may create fatigue, but it does not harm your eyesight in any way.
Even if these findings are true, it is only relevant to the developing eye. So kids may still need to listen to their mother after all, and avoid straining their eyes in the long run.
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References:
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Hammond, C. (2019). Is reading in the dark bad for your eyesight?. [online] Bbc.com. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121001-should-you-read-in-the-dark.
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Peck, M. and Ashford, M. (2019). Does reading in the dark hurt your eyes? | Scienceline. [online] Scienceline. Available at: https://scienceline.org/2007/10/ask-peck-darkeyesmyopia/.
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O’Connor, A. (2019). The Claim: Reading in the Dark Will Damage Your Eyes. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/health/04real.html.
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Patty Vision Centers - Eyecare of Residents of Burlington, Roxboro, and Yanceyville, NC. (2019). Reading in the Dark Will Ruin Your Eyes - Patty Vision Centers - Eyecare of Residents of Burlington, Roxboro, and Yanceyville, NC. [online] Available at: http://www.pattyvisioncenters.com/2016/02/15/reading-in-the-dark-will-ruin-your-eyes/.
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Artal, P., Schwarz, C., Cánovas, C. and Mira-Agudelo, A. (2012). Night Myopia Studied with an Adaptive Optics Visual Analyzer. PLoS ONE, 7(7), p.e40239.
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