LED glasses are eyeglasses that utilize light emitting diodes (LEDs) to create a number of different effects depending on the placement of the lights. Many pairs of these glasses will include a number of different brightly colored lights all along the frames of the glasses to make them stand out, and are typically intended for use at dark night clubs, parties, or nighttime parades. There are also pairs of glasses with a few small white LEDs on the frame aimed outward to help illuminate where the wearer is looking. LED glasses can also be designed and used to help treat conditions such as depression or insomnia.
Sometimes called LED eyeglasses, to distinguish them from drinking glasses that include LEDs, LED glasses can be designed for a number of purposes. Common designs for these glasses use a number of colored lights that run all along the frames, both on the earpieces and around the lenses. Such glasses are typically worn at social functions that are dark, such as dance clubs, night parades at theme parks, and parties. These sorts of LED glasses do not usually serve a practical purpose but are intended for entertainment.
There are also LED glasses designed for more practical purposes. These can include glasses designed with only a few white LEDs to illuminate the area at which a person is looking. This can be quite useful for reading at night or in the dark as an alternative to a book light, and such glasses could be used for more entertaining purposes as well. These LED glasses can also help someone be more noticeable if walking or riding a bicycle in the evening or at night.
Some types of LED glasses are also designed to serve therapeutic purposes, though the effectiveness of such glasses is still being researched. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a common source of depression in the winter, which is caused by a lack of sunlight and the physiological affect sun has on a person. LED glasses can be worn that shine light into a person’s eyes to replicate the effect of sunlight and help a person overcome the sun deficiency and better regulate his or her mood. There are also glasses that use LEDs to help regulate a person’s circadian rhythms, which control when a person is able to easily sleep and wake; these glasses are being tested as treatment to combat everything from insomnia to jet lag.