How often should you rest your eyes at a computer?

You've been coding for three hours straight. Your eyes feel heavy, like they're working against you. The text on your screen starts to blur. You rub your eyes, but the relief is only temporary. By 4 PM, you're squinting, and your focus has evaporated. You know you should rest your eyes, but how often? And for how long? Do you even remember to rest your eyes?

This question matters because the answer directly affects your comfort, productivity, and long-term eye health. The American Optometric Association reports that even two continuous hours of screen time without a break increases your risk of eye strain. Most knowledge workers spend far more than that, and the negative effects often remain even after a good night's sleep.

The solution isn't complicated, but it requires understanding why your eyes need rest and how to build the habit consistently.

Why Your Eyes Need Regular Rest

Your eyes are held by muscles. Like any muscle, they fatigue when held in one position for too long. When you stare at a screen, several things happen simultaneously.

Your focusing muscles (the ciliary muscles), inside your eyes, contract to keep your vision sharp at a fixed distance (where your screen is). Unlike natural environments where your gaze shifts constantly, screen work locks your eyes onto a single focal plane, typically 18 to 24 inches away. This sustained contraction causes fatigue. Research shows that prolonged near work increases eye strain and can contribute to discomfort.

In front of a screen, your blink rate drops dramatically. Normally, you blink 15 to 20 times per minute. During focused screen work, that drops to just 5 to 7 times per minute. Each blink spreads tears across your eyes, keeping them lubricated. Less blinking means drier eyes, which leads to irritation, burning, and blurred vision.

Screens emit bright light, and your pupils respond by staying small to reduce light intake. This constant constriction, combined with the effort of maintaining focus, creates cumulative strain. Over hours, this manifests as headaches, eye fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

Finally, your eyes don't get the natural variation they evolved for. In natural settings, your gaze moves constantly: near to far, left to right, up and down. This variation gives different muscle groups brief rest periods. Screen work eliminates this variation, keeping the same muscles engaged continuously.

The Science Behind Rest Intervals

The most widely recommended guideline is the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This isn't arbitrary. It's based on how quickly your eye muscles recover when given a brief change in focal distance.

When you shift your gaze to a distant object, your ciliary muscles relax. The 20-second duration allows enough time for this relaxation to occur. The 20-minute interval prevents fatigue from accumulating to the point where longer recovery is needed.

However, this is a minimum recommendation. If you're experiencing significant eye strain, or if you've been working for several hours, you may need more frequent breaks. Some people find that every 15 minutes works better for them, especially during intensive screen work.

Beyond these micro-breaks, longer rest periods matter too. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) recommends taking a 5 to 10 minute break every hour of computer work. This gives your eyes a more substantial recovery period and helps prevent cumulative strain throughout the day.

Common Misconceptions

Several misconceptions prevent people from resting their eyes effectively.

"I'll rest when my eyes hurt." By the time you feel pain or significant discomfort, you've already been straining for too long. Prevention is easier than recovery. Rest your eyes before they demand it; this is the philosophy behind the ErgoGecko software.

"Closing my eyes for a few seconds is enough." While closing your eyes helps with dryness, it doesn't necessarily change your focal distance to engage different eye muscles. Looking at something far away is what actually gives your eyes some much-needed rest.

"I don't have time for breaks." The 20-20-20 rule takes 20 seconds. That's less time than most people spend checking their phone (often hours a day). These brief pauses don't disrupt workflow; they maintain it by preventing the focus loss and fatigue that come from eye strain.

"Blue light glasses eliminate the need for breaks." While blue light filtering can help reduce eye strain and improve sleep quality, it doesn't address muscle fatigu+e or reduced blinking. You still need to rest your focusing muscles and maintain proper blink rates.

"I can work longer if I just push through." Eye strain compounds. The longer you work without breaks, the more your productivity and focus decline. Regular rest actually increases your effective work time by maintaining your ability to concentrate.

Practical Implementation

Knowing you should rest your eyes every 20 minutes is different from actually doing it. The challenge is consistency, not knowledge.

Set external reminders. Your brain won't reliably remind you when you're focused. Use a timer, phone app, or desktop reminder. The best system is one you'll notice without being disruptive. Tools like ErgoGecko can automate these reminders, making it easier to build the habit without relying on memory.

Make the break meaningful. When the reminder goes off, actually look away. Stand up if possible. Walk to a window and focus on something in the distance. If you're in a windowless space, look at the farthest wall or object you can see. The key is changing your focal distance, not just closing your eyes.

Blink consciously during breaks. Use the 20-second rest period to blink fully and deliberately. This helps rehydrate your eyes and reinforces the habit of regular blinking when you return to work.

Combine with movement. Eye rest pairs naturally with the micro-breaks that prevent neck and back pain. Stand up, stretch, and rest your eyes simultaneously. This addresses multiple issues at once and makes the break feel more substantial.

Adjust based on your experience. If you still experience eye strain with 20-minute intervals, try 15 minutes. If 20 minutes feels too frequent and disrupts your flow, 30 minutes might work better, but don't go longer than that.
The goal is finding the frequency that prevents strain without feeling burdensome. The ErgoGecko software lets you pick the time interval at which you want to be reminded to rest your eyes.

Take longer breaks every two hours. Beyond the 20-20-20 rule, step away from your screen completely for 10 to 15 minutes every two hours, if possible. Walk around, look at natural light if possible, and let your eyes recover fully. This prevents cumulative strain that builds over the course of a full workday.

Optimize your environment. Rest breaks are more effective when combined with proper screen setup. Ensure your monitor is positioned correctly, about an arm's length away, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. This reduces strain between breaks. Learn more about preventing eye strain from computer screens through proper setup and habits.

The Consistency Challenge

Most people understand they should rest their eyes regularly. The problem isn't knowledge; it's execution. When you're deep in focused work, time disappears. You might intend to take a break at 2:30, but suddenly it's 4:00 and your eyes are burning.

This is why automation helps. External reminders remove the burden of remembering. They interrupt your flow at the right intervals, not when you're in the middle of solving a problem, but at regular intervals that prevent strain from accumulating.

Building the habit takes time. The goal isn't perfection; it's taking more breaks than you currently do. Even small improvements can reduce eye strain to an extent.

IF you can track your progress, such as with software like ErgoGecko, you can see how you feel at the end of days when you rest your eyes regularly versus days when you forget. The difference in comfort and focus is usually noticeable, which reinforces the habit.

Conclusion

Rest your eyes every 20 minutes for 20 seconds, looking at something 20 feet away. This is the minimum recommendation, but it's often enough to prevent eye strain when done consistently. Combine these micro-breaks with longer 10 to 15 minute breaks every two hours for optimal eye health and comfort. The ErgoGecko software can help you remember to take these breaks.

The challenge isn't knowing what to do; it's remembering to do it. External reminders, whether simple timers or dedicated tools like ErgoGecko, make it easier to build this habit into your daily routine. By resting your eyes regularly, you maintain focus, reduce discomfort, and protect your long-term eye health without disrupting your productivity.