Bed-Mode For Smartphones?

Smartphones, tablets, and e-readers emit blue-green wavelengths of light that can delay sleeping time by at least an hour, says researcher.

17:26 16 November 2015

Professor Paul Gringas, who is a part of a team that conducted a study on the effects of certain devices in our sleeping patterns, said that smartphones, tablets, and e-readers need "bedtime mode" to fix our sleep.

 

Paul Gringras, a professor at Evelina London Children's Sleep Medicine and King's College London, and his team analyzed the effects of the lights emitted by the above-mentioned devices.

 

Their study, which was published in Frontiers in Public Health, found that modern displays emit blue-green wavelengths of light that suppress the production of melatonin, (which helps control sleep and wake cycles) making us more alert.

 

The report said: "A faster and more tenable solution would be for manufacturers to ensure that software design is optimized when night-time use is anticipated

 

It also recommends that "all hardware devices allow an automatic "bedtime mode" that shifts blue and green light emissions to yellow and red as well as reduces backlight/light intensity."

 

The researchers have acknowledged the fact that removing smartphone and tablets from the bedroom can be extremely challenging. Thus, they asked phone makers to take "more responsibility" by including automated solutions in their products.