Staring at computers at night is frying your brain. Here's one easy fix

[Demeter]

http://www.vox.com/2015/11/2/9658952/blue-light-app

... chances are you spend a lot of time looking at LED screens — on your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, phablet, smartwatch, fitness device, smart appliance, Google Glass, or whatnot. According to the Vision Council, about a third of my generation (X) spends at least nine hours a day on digital devices. Millennials are even worse (in this as in everything). In the somewhat smaller tribe of people who read and write stuff on the internet for a living, I bet 10 to 12 hours a day isn't unusual. I'm sure I've done it. It's not good for our eyes. LED screens emit a great deal of blue light, and according to the Vision Council, "cumulative and constant exposure to blue light can damage retinal cells."

https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WMzLeBXGumbZVEraPezDrR1Fzys=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4220287/vc-digital-eye-strain-blue-light.png

What's more, even the non-harmful portion of blue light sends a signal to our brains that it is daytime, revving up our heart rate and alertness. It mimics the sun, basically. You do not want to be lying in bed at night, having brushed your teeth and set your alarm, staring into the sun. It's not a recipe for good sleep. Exposure to blue light at night has even been linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. (It is not entirely clear why; it likely has to do with suppressing the secretion of melatonin.)

There are all sorts of solutions to the blue-light problem. The most obvious is just not to look at screens for two or three hours before you go to bed. Unfortunately, a substantial proportion of my professional work gets done in the two to three hours before I go to bed, so that's not really an option for me. Hardware solutions include adhesive screen protectors that filter blue light and even orange goggles, if you want to look extra cool after the sun goes down.

But by far the easiest step is just to install f.lux. It's free for Windows, Mac, and iPhones/iPads**. (There's not yet a version for Android, but there are plenty of alternatives; I use one called CF.lumen.)

download at https://justgetflux.com/

TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT! MORE AT LINK

[arikara]

1. I've been using it for a few months

I find that it gets me off the computer way earlier and I'm sleepy too. I really like it.

[Hydra]

2. That's neat! Thanks!

[jeff47]

3. LCD. Not LED.

Liquid Crystal Display. Not Light Emitting Diode.

While some LCDs are backlit by LEDs, not all are.

[kristopher]

4. From Harvard Medical School Health Publications

Blue light has a dark side

Harvard Health Letter

Light at night is bad for your health, and exposure to blue light emitted by electronics and energy-efficient lightbulbs may be especially so.

Until the advent of artificial lighting, the sun was the major source of lighting, and people spent their evenings in (relative) darkness. Now, in much of the world, evenings are illuminated, and we take our easy access to all those lumens pretty much for granted.

But we may be paying a price for basking in all that light. At night, light throws the body’s biological clock—the circadian rhythm—out of whack. Sleep suffers. Worse, research shows that it may contribute to the causation of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

But not all colors of light have the same effect. Blue wavelengths—which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood—seem to be the most disruptive at night. And the proliferation of electronics with screens, as well as energy-efficient lighting, is increasing our exposure to blue wavelengths, especially after sundown.

Daily rhythms influenced by light

Everyone has slightly different circadian rhythms...

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side

[LiberalElite]

5. Just installed - thanks! eom

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. I use Taught for Android

It works great. You can change the tone and intensity of the light and you can set it to turn on and off when you want. I have mine set for sunset and sunrise.

[840high]

7. Thank you - just downloaded

[TalkingDog]

8. Flux on laptop and Twilight on Android.

I've used Flux for years because I am extremely light sensitive.

And knowing that, one of my first app downloads to my smartphone was Twilight.

[bananas]

14. Yes - I higly recommend those two - and they're both free. nt

[Lodestar]

9. Fantastic! Thanks! Don't know why this isn't just standard on computers

and other screen gadgets.

[Flying Squirrel]

10. No can do

On my iphone because I have IOS 9.1. Will have to wait... Too bad, I really like f.lux on my computer.

[arikara]

13. I turn the light way down on my iPad

in the evening and read the kindle app in sepia. That seems to help.

[oldandhappy]

11. Thank you. Just installed!

[cprise]

12. Alternatives or addition to using f.lux

I have been light-reducing my screens for some time now. Here's how:

* Firefox theme 'Deepdark' will make the frames, toolbars, etc. look dark and classy. There is a version for Thunderbird (email) as well.

* Firefox extensions 'Blank Your Monitor' or 'Color Transform' can darken web pages themselves. BYM is easy to use, while CT has a leaning curve.


Also, just turning down the monitor brightness helps a lot.