The introduction of Apple’s Night Shift mode was made in one of the latest iOS system updates and then moved to Macs in 2017. The idea was to help reduce harmful blue light emitted by smart devices during the darker night hours, but it appears that it may not be helping much at all.
How does it work?
Night Shift mode works by dimming the screen to a warmer tone when triggered at a certain hour of the day. The warmer the screen color, the less blue light emitted through the screen. You can turn on Night Shift mode on your Apple device by
- Going into Settings
- Going into Display and Brightness
- Clicking the Night Shift button to the on position
Is it effective?
Research shows that although the Night Shift mode did slightly reduce the decrease in melatonin associated with using smart devices at night, it didn’t reduce it enough to be a significant change. In a study of twelve students asked to use an iPad during the darker hours, those with the Night Shift mode on still had a pretty significant decrease in melatonin.
What’s at risk?
For one, your sleep. Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by our bodies that triggers our ability to sleep at night. Tablets and other smart devices have been shown to decrease melatonin because of potentially harmful blue light emitted as well as overstimulation of the brain.
What can I do to help?
BluTech Lenses help to cancel out up to 455nm of blue light from these devices, which is higher than most competitors. Wearing blue-light canceling lenses can help to decrease the amount of blue light that reaches your retinas, which can:
- Increase melatonin for better sleep
- Reduce eye strain and headaches
- Keep your eyes in top shape
Researchers also suggest turning off tablets and smartphones at least two full hours before sleep for all ages, as well as limiting usage to an hour or less at a time.
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