Why We can See at Night
Light makes us see clearly. Generally, total darkness is not a good condition, not conducive to the full use of human vision. However, even in the darkest night, the small amounts of light that penetrate can still give us some vision. So how do our eyes make full use of the limited light in the dark?
How your eyes process light
Your eyes in the true sense don't "see" anything. They just interpret the light signals, which are then sent to your brain to understand. Rods and cones of your eyes are used to create images for your brain.
The perception of color and details is the responsibility of the cone cells. In low lighting, your cones fail to perceive well. In terms of night vision, what needs to be strengthened is your rod cells, which can only perceive things in black and white and normally cannot handle finer details, but are still very sensitive even in low lighting.
Your eyes adapt to the lighting around you
When the light is off or on, there are two main changes in your eyes. The first is pupil dilation.
Your pupil is like the lens on a camera, opening or closing to let light in or out. At night, your pupils dilate to allow in more light, while during the day, your pupils constrict to limit the light getting into your eyes and protect them from harm.
The second change is the degradation or regeneration of photopigments in your eyes when the light changes. Photopigments, chemicals in the rods and cones of the eyes, are responsible for converting light signals into things that can be interpreted by your eyes and brain. Bright lights will damage these photopigments, while dim lights will regenerate them. This second process is called dark adaptation.
Improve night vision
Normally, damage to the pupil, lens, or retina (where the rods and cones are) leads to poor night vision. Worsening night vision usually occurs with age, although problems may also appear at an early stage, especially for people with improper diets and a lack of vitamin A.
Get Eye examination once a year
Some measures can be taken to improve or protect your night vision. The first is to have a regular eye examination so that you can determine whether there is any degenerative eye disease and get prompt treatment of any problem that may arise. In addition, once you get an accurate prescription from an ophthalmologist, you can shop around online to get prescription glasses with better deals.
Dim the lights
There are ways to prepare you in the dark to improve your instant night vision. The key is to make your eyes adapt to the dark environment as easily as possible. Try to avoid major changes in lighting such as turning off bright lights in a room immediately. A dimmer switch is a good choice to turn the lights down or up more gently.
Wear sunglasses
You can also wear sunglasses when you go outside. If you need prescription glasses, you can choose UV-resistant sunglasses from mojosee.com. Among the various options, you can choose the sunglasses that suit you to keep your eyes healthy.
Avoid unnecessary glare
Adjust the lights on your mobile phone, computer, and TV to the most comfortable setting, especially when using these devices in low lighting. To protect your eyes in an all-around way, you can also adjust the blue light settings or buy blue light blocking glasses that help relieve eye fatigue.