f.lux - Are you staying up too late on the computer (or mobile device) surfing DashCamTalk?

[Street Guardian USA]

I just started using f.lux & it might be pretty helpful to fall asleep faster at the end of a late night on the computer. (free for Windows and Mac)

The Theory is it cuts out the color blue which is what's in sunlight or other bright lights that triggers your brain to stay awake. (when it should be ramping down for bed)

https://justgetflux.com/

Ever notice how people texting at night have that eerie blue glow?

Or wake up ready to write down the Next Great Idea, and get blinded by your computer screen?

During the day, computer screens look good—they're designed to look like the sun. But, at 9PM, 10PM, or 3AM, you probably shouldn't be looking at the sun.

f.lux
f.lux fixes this: it makes the color of your computer's display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day.

It's even possible that you're staying up too late because of your computer. You could use f.lux because it makes you sleep better, or you could just use it just because it makes your computer look better.

 

[kamkar]

I doubt this will work for me with my severe random sleep patterns, the past fjew days i havent been able to fall asleep before 10 in the morning, but today i was up and out of bed before 7 AM so for once i did manage to fall asleep fairly quick.
At least when i finally do fall asleep i am able to sleep for 5-7 houter strait, and some days even more depending on how fecked up the previous days have been.
I fear what will happen when i find a job

 

[niko]

Have test it and see if my surfing will be more productive ?

 

[russ331]

I've used this for several years on my Windows laptop. It's good. But I don't get much benefit from it anymore, as I prefer to use my iPad in almost all circumstances.

 

[Dashmellow]

I've used this for several years on my Windows laptop. It's good. But I don't get much benefit from it anymore, as I prefer to use my iPad in almost all circumstances.

There is a version of f.lux available that works on jailbroken iOS devices.

https://justgetflux.com/ios.html

 

[Dashmellow]

Another approach to this issue is to use specially tinted orange or yellow/orange eyeglasses when viewing screens at night rather than software.

http://wellnessmama.com/15730/orange-sunglasses/

http://www.debspecs.com/Melanin-Lens-Computer-Glasses-C124.aspx

Amazon (low cost)

Amazon (covers regular eyeglasses)

 

[Street Guardian USA]

There is a version of f.lux available that works on jailbroken iOS devices.

https://justgetflux.com/ios.html

Wow that's so awesome thanks. Installed!
Now my iPhone 6+ won't be keeping me awake when I'm tapatalk'n in bed

 

[Street Guardian USA]

I've used this for several years on my Windows laptop. It's good. But I don't get much benefit from it anymore, as I prefer to use my iPad in almost all circumstances.

New study says reading on an iPad is worse for sleep than reading a book. Read the details here.

PNAS study: using iPad before bed has major impact on sleep
22 Dec 2014

A study published in PNAS shows that reading a backlit device before bed makes your sleep measurably worse than reading a paper book under dim light.

According to the study:

• While people are using an iPad at night their body produces 55% less melatonin
• After shutting off the lights (and the iPad), they took an extra 10 minutes to fall asleep
• When they did fall asleep, they had less REM sleep during the night
• The next morning, the iPad readers felt sleepier, and it took them “hours longer” to feel alert. The book readers quickly felt more alert immediately upon waking.
• When it was time for bed the next night, the iPad readers’ circadian clocks were delayed by more than 90 minutes. Their bodies began to feel tired an hour and a half later than normal, because they were exposed to alerting light from the iPad the night before.

Each participant was tested with both the iPad and reading a book. Books on paper did not suppress melatonin or cause participants to feel groggy the next day.

The 5-day study was conducted by Anne-Marie Chang, Daniel Aeschbach, Jeanne F. Duffy, and Charles A. Czeisler at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital).

f.lux’s take
This study shows that the bright blue light from displays at night is impacting our sleep. If you stay up late reading a bright iPad until just before bedtime, your sleep will be negatively affected, and your body will expect to stay up later the next night (as much as 90 minutes later). You may have trouble winding down, feeling alert when you should be getting tired.

This level of melatonin suppression is quite large. Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone, and has many functions in the body related to sleep. It is also a strong anti-inflammatory known to suppress cancer cell growth.

Because the circadian shift of using an iPad at night is very large, only a few nights of staying up late reading might put your body several hours out of phase with your normal routine.

Click here to read our suggestions on how to safely use screens near bedtime.

 

[Dashmellow]

I dunno, my problem seems to be falling asleep in bed while reading my iPad.
I sleep well, dream a lot, wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed, feeling rested. Go figure?

 

[petepete]

New study says reading on an iPad is worse for sleep than reading a book. Read the details here.

PNAS study: using iPad before bed has major impact on sleep
22 Dec 2014

A study published in PNAS shows that reading a backlit device before bed makes your sleep measurably worse than reading a paper book under dim light.

According to the study:

• While people are using an iPad at night their body produces 55% less melatonin
• After shutting off the lights (and the iPad), they took an extra 10 minutes to fall asleep
• When they did fall asleep, they had less REM sleep during the night
• The next morning, the iPad readers felt sleepier, and it took them “hours longer” to feel alert. The book readers quickly felt more alert immediately upon waking.
• When it was time for bed the next night, the iPad readers’ circadian clocks were delayed by more than 90 minutes. Their bodies began to feel tired an hour and a half later than normal, because they were exposed to alerting light from the iPad the night before.

Each participant was tested with both the iPad and reading a book. Books on paper did not suppress melatonin or cause participants to feel groggy the next day.

The 5-day study was conducted by Anne-Marie Chang, Daniel Aeschbach, Jeanne F. Duffy, and Charles A. Czeisler at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital).

f.lux’s take
This study shows that the bright blue light from displays at night is impacting our sleep. If you stay up late reading a bright iPad until just before bedtime, your sleep will be negatively affected, and your body will expect to stay up later the next night (as much as 90 minutes later). You may have trouble winding down, feeling alert when you should be getting tired.

This level of melatonin suppression is quite large. Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone, and has many functions in the body related to sleep. It is also a strong anti-inflammatory known to suppress cancer cell growth.

Because the circadian shift of using an iPad at night is very large, only a few nights of staying up late reading might put your body several hours out of phase with your normal routine.

Click here to read our suggestions on how to safely use screens near bedtime.

A five day study !!!!!

Any light at night reduces your melatonin never mind an ipad...

you should always sleep in pitch black and I wonder how many parents using night lights for kids realise they handicap their kids in the classroom next day....

As for f.lux - yep I tried it set on the one hour slow convert and it made my eyes feel crap and was uninstalled 2 hours later having set it at a less harsh setting to give it a go !!!

 

[Dashmellow]

A five day study !!!!!

Any light at night reduces your melatonin never mind an ipad...

you should always sleep in pitch black and I wonder how many parents using night lights for kids realise they handicap their kids in the classroom next day....

As for f.lux - yep I tried it set on the one hour slow convert and it made my eyes feel crap and was uninstalled 2 hours later having set it at a less harsh setting to give it a go !!!

You are right that any type of light reduces melatonin production but studies have found that light composed of the blue wavelengths typically encountered in modern flat panel computer screens slows the release of melatonin with particular effectiveness, hence the subject of this thread.

Also, it has been shown in studies that one's eyes and brain can take some time to adjust to different lighting conditions, screen brightnesses, PWM, color temperatures, etc. Some people are more sensitive to certain of these parameters than others, especially PWM. Aside from studies of computer screens, there are similar studies about the unhealthy effects and eyestrain issues from florescent lighting, especially for people who spend long hours working under this type of lighting. Combining typical florescent lighting with computer screens presents a "double whammy".

It seems that if one is critical of a study that lasts only five days, it would make sense to apply the same logic and give the technology more than a two hour window to see if one adjusts to and benefits from it.

Nevertheless, if you are concerned about the effects of LED computer screens at night, you might benefit from trying one of those tinted eyeglasses if this software is unacceptable for you.

 

[USDashCamera]

the last year my sleep schedule has been completely bonkers. for a few weeks recently I was on a 12 hour cycle. sleep 6 hours, awake 6 hours... seriously, for a few weeks like that. it was messed up.

I blame my jobs....