Smartphone screens emit bright blue light so you can see them even at the sunniest times of day.
But at night, your brain gets confused by that light, as it mimics the brightness of the sun. This causes the brain to stop producing melatonin, a hormone that gives your body the “time to sleep” cues. Because of this, smartphone light can disrupt your sleep cycle, making it harder to fall and stay asleep — and potentially causing serious health problems along the way.
If you are an iPhone user who can’t use flux, you haven’t been able to tone down the levels of blue light coming out of your phone. However, the recent iOS 9.3 update changes that. It enables a new mode called Night Shift that you can set starting at whatever you choose time in the evening. When Night Shift kicks in, your phone automatically adjusts the display so that it gives off warmer, less blue light.
Here’s how blue light at night affects your brain:
There’s a little research on how changing the tone of your screen may help sleep, though more is still needed. But anecdotally, I can say that it’s a pleasant change and makes my eyes feel a little less stressed. Tech Insider’s Dave Smith wrote that “Night Shift is one of my favourite recent additions to the iPhone.”
However, this is still not the solution to all phone-related sleep issues.
Business Insider’s Erin Brodwin spoke to a sleep scientist who pointed out that light is just one of the things that affect our sleep. What we do with our phones can also stimulate our minds and keep us awake, especially if we are scrolling through social media, reading news, or browsing the web.