It's no secret that exposure to blue light at night can have an effect on our ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Apple's new Night Shift feature promises to reduce blue wavelengths on iOS devices, but how will it help?
The negative effects of blue light on our body’s natural circadian rhythm (our natural time clock that tells us when to wake and when to sleep) have long been documented, but it seems little has been done by tech companies to remedy this problem. That is, until Apple unveiled their new Night Shift feature on their iOS program’s latest update.
Until the invention of artificial lighting, the sun was the world’s major source of lighting, and people used it as a guide for when to go to sleep at night and when to wake in the morning. The introduction of artificial light allowed us to stay up much later into the night, throwing off our biological clock.
Blue light, the light emitted by the screens we all love so dearly, including our televisions, smartphones, and tablets, are considered the most disruptive at night. Though this type of light promotes mood, reaction time and focus during the day, blue light prevents our brains from producing the chemicals that cause us to sleep, which is a big problem for our health in the long run.
So how can Apple’s Night Shift help resolve this problem? After users schedule Night Shift to turn on, iOS will automatically change the display’s light output from the normal bright blue to a much warmer, and much less bright, color temperature. Though this may look strange to a longtime smartphone user, this wavelength of light will better allow your brain to relax and begin to shut off for a night of rest.
Although no nighttime light at all is the best thing for those looking for a perfect night’s sleep, that’s just not practical for most people. However, Night Shift is certainly a great start, and an encouraging sign that tech companies are beginning to acknowledge the effects of blue light on their customers.
