Eye Care Habits for Long Gaming Sessions
Practical, low-effort habits that reduce eye strain from screens, including the 20-20-20 rule, lighting, distance and blinking.
By the SetLife Games editorial team · Last updated 21 October 2026
Why screens tire your eyes
When you look at a screen for a long time, you tend to blink less and keep your eyes focused at one close distance. Both can leave your eyes dry, tired or slightly blurry afterwards. This is often called digital eye strain. It is usually temporary and improves with rest, and a few habits reduce it significantly. This article offers general information and is not a substitute for advice from an eye-care professional. If you have persistent pain, headaches or changes in vision, please see one.
The 20-20-20 habit
A widely recommended rule is to look at something about twenty feet (around six metres) away for at least twenty seconds, every twenty minutes. It gives the focusing muscles of your eyes a rest. Browser games are well suited to this habit because many levels and rounds last only a few minutes: use the end of a round as your reminder, and glance out of a window before starting the next one.
Blink on purpose
People blink noticeably less while concentrating on a screen. During intense moments you may not notice that your eyes are drying out. Make a habit of blinking fully and slowly at the end of each round. If your eyes still feel dry, a short break away from the screen usually helps more than anything else.
Set up your screen well
- Distance: sit roughly an arm’s length from a monitor. Hold a phone a little further than you would hold a book.
- Height: the top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level so that you look slightly down.
- Brightness: match your screen to the room. A bright screen in a dark room causes glare, and so does a dim screen in sunlight.
- Text size: enlarge text and interface elements if you find yourself leaning forward.
- Reflections: position the screen so that windows and lamps do not reflect in it.
Lighting matters
Gaming in a completely dark room makes the screen the brightest thing you can see, which can feel harsh. A soft, indirect light behind the screen reduces the contrast between the display and its surroundings. Avoid a bright light directly in front of you or above the screen.
Breaks that actually help
A break only rests your eyes if you stop looking at a screen. Checking another phone does not count. Stand up, stretch, drink some water and look at something far away. If you play in the evening, finishing a little earlier gives your eyes and your sleep time to recover. Our guides to healthy gaming habits and a short daily gaming routine show how to build this into a day.
For children
Children can find it harder to notice discomfort. Set a timer for play sessions, encourage regular glances away from the screen, and make sure they are not holding a device too close to their face.
A simple routine
- Start each session by adjusting brightness and distance.
- After every few rounds, blink slowly and look into the distance for twenty seconds.
- Take a longer break at least once an hour.
- End the evening session early enough to wind down before sleep.