We’ve always known that our relationship with electronic devices is a bit co-dependent, but there’s not much we have done to cut that addiction. Worse yet, it’s not news that the blue light emitted by these devices puts a strain on our night sleep.
- Blue-light-emitting devices mess up our sleep cycle
- UK study proposes manufacturers include “bedtime mode” in their devices’ settings
- Sleep-aware apps like F.lux help users get a better night sleep
How helpful would it be to have an automatic “bedtime mode” on our smartphones and tablets that would ease the transition between awake and asleep? According to Prof. Paul Gringras, member of a research team from Evelina Children’s Hospital, very helpful, indeed.
Partnering with other institutions in the United Kingdom, Prof. Gringras proposed that having a bedtime setting would reduce exposure to the screens’ blue light, thus making it easier for users to adjust their body clock and have the sleep they need.
Very little has been done ever since researchers first suggested that poor night sleep can be associated with use of electronic gadgets before bedtime. It turns out that the blue light mimics daylight, which messes up with our sleep schedule, and the only recommendation to cut that effect was to stop using electronic devices at least one hour before going to bed.
If were being honest with ourselves, we can’t really go without our nightly scroll through Instagram and Twitter, so that recommendation has gained a rather small followship. But as it is stated in this study published journal Frontiers in Public Health, something has to be done to cancel the effect of the bigger, brighter screens and their high contrast levels.
During his research, Prof. Gringras found that using devices with bright screens at night-time could prevent users from falling asleep an extra hour earlier. But he also found a solution in the form of a proposed bedtime mode that could filter out the aggressive blue light.
Some of us are already familiar the sleep-aware app F.lux, for instance, which reduces blue-green light emissions and adjusts the color of the display in order to promote better sleep. But the doctor wants smartphone and tablet manufacturers to be more responsible regarding this matter.
Chronical sleep deprivation has become common among UK children as young as age 12 routinely, as found in a recent study. They said it’s not uncommon to wake up in the middle of the night to check social media or send messages. Over half of these teens also reported they go to school tired “almost always.”
Image Source: The Family U
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.