Eliminating the blue light off your phone’s display will help you sleep better.
Key TAKEAWAYS
- The blue light from screens can affect the health of your body and disrupts sleep, according to research conducted by Harvard along with the NHS.
- The exposure to blue light in the evening fools your mind into believing that it’s daylight, which reduces the production of melatonin.
- Utilizing a blue light filter using a blue light filter on the back of your Android phone, such as its built-in Night Light feature or the application Twilight that can minimize harmful effects caused by blue light. It can also improve the quality of your sleep.
What is the most frequent time you can get the best night’s sleep? If your answer is other then “always,” then you may want to think about the effect your devices influence your sleep. Blue light from screens trick our brains into thinking that we ought to be awake. However, it is possible to fix it with a simple blue light filter for you Android phone.
The Problem with Blue Light
The blue light that screens emit is confirmed to be harmful to the health of your body. Studies, such as the one conducted at Harvard has repeatedly stated that the use of gadgets during the night affects the quality and quantity of your rest.
The reason is that you are exposed to light during nighttime. Particularly the cause is exposure to blue, short wavelength light emitted by tablets and phones, and nearly every gadget that has the ability to illuminate its display.
The sun also has blue light that is crucial throughout the daytime. It’s what keeps your mind alert and awake and is an essential element of the way sleep cycles function.
However, exposure to blue light at night can be detrimental, since it tricked your brain into believing that it’s still daylight. It reduces the production of melatonin, which is a hormone that’s produced at night to prepare your body for sleeping, according to the NHS explain.
Its effect is so significant that a study published in the Daily Mail even suggested that the blue LED shining on the dashboard of a car would be a good method to prevent drivers from falling asleep behind the steering wheel.
What can you do, other than switching off your phone the night before you go to go to bed? The solution is to utilize the blue light filter. This feature is integrated into Android already but there are several applications that are third-party and can provide additional functions if you’re in need of these features.
What’s an Blue Light Filter Do?
Blue light filtering operates in a couple of ways. The built-in option as well as the primary option we’ll explore to limit the blue light your screen releases. Some third-party applications apply a red filter to the screen to block out blue light.
The result is similar. It makes everything appear red and takes a bit of to get used to. It also blocks away the detrimental effects caused by blue light and dramatically reduces the glare. Even if you’re unsure of its benefits for sleeping quality, you’ll feel a reduction in strain on your eyes when using your smartphone in dimly lit areas.
However, third-party applications don’t always work as expected. The red overlay decreases contrast and turns blacks into the dark red.
They may also trigger a security feature on Android which makes certain buttons unaccessible while overlays are present. It’s likely to be noticeable when you try to install an app using an alternative store. When you click to click the install button, you’ll need to stop or close the app filtering. Some don’t even work in the notification pane.
The Built-in Option The Built-In Option
Before you start looking at alternatives from third parties, take the built-in settings on your Android tablet or phone try. It’s the native Android version is known as Night Light, although it is known as an alternative name on other phones. It’s known as”the Eye Comfort Shield on Samsung phones for instance.
It’s simple to configure and program this blue-light filter in Android. On the majority of phones, you need open settings > display and then select an option called Lighting at Night option. You can set the light to automatically turn on and alter the level of the effect. If you’d like to have more fine-tuned control, it’s necessary to install an application.
Best Overall Blue Light Filter App: Twilight
Twilight is the most effective blue light filtering app available for Android. It gradually decreases the temperatures of your display (making it appear redder) and reduces brightness until the display is at the desired levels of brightness and color.
This gradual change is so subtle that you don’t even realize the change taking place. In the beginning, whites appear just a little off-white. But when you’re in your bed, browsing Reddit you’ll notice the effects full force.
Utilizing the light sensor on your phone, Twilight can constantly adjust its settings automatically, making sure that they’re always in tune with your lighting conditions. Once you’ve completed the initial configuration it’s not necessary to open the app once again.
Why would you want to use Twilight even though Android already includes a blue-light filter?
Two characteristics make it extremely beneficial. One is that it can be set to automatically shut down whenever you have certain apps open. So, it won’t interrupt your nighttime Netflix watching. Another benefit is that it is compatible with more than your smartphone. You can configure it for control of your Philips HUE and other smart bulbs. You can also install the app on an Android TV, watch Android TV or Chromebook too.
Download:Twilight (Free) | Twilight Pro ($3.49)
The Root Alternative The Root Option Light (KCAL)
Twilight is the ideal option for the majority of users. However, if you’re phone is root, you’ve an option to install an additional powerful app that’s called Night Light (KCAL).
As a root application, Night Light can directly control the display. Instead of putting an overlay of red on the screen to block out the blue lighting, the app actually decreases the blue light the screen produces.
It’s a lot more like the way that Android’s Night Light works, and the result is a superior image. The application doesn’t give everything the red hue–blacks remain white and there’s zero loss in contrast. It doesn’t also hinder your notifications or other apps.
KCAL isn’t suitable for everyone, but it is a good option for those who want to. It is necessary to root your smartphone to be able to use it and you may need to install an additional kernel. Also, it isn’t available on the Play Store. It is available via the GitHub page and download it through the F-Droid app store, a third-party app store.
Download:Night Light (KCAL) (Free)
Reduce the effects of blue Light, without filtering it
The impact of the blue-light filtering effect is easy to adjust to. However, there are some who dislike it. If you aren’t happy with all your apps turning the reddish hue that occurs after the sunset time, you can find better ways to limit the effects from blue-light.
The most important thing is to limit the amount of screen you are exposed to. Therefore, using a smartphone as opposed to a tablet due to its smaller screen. Reduce the brightness as much you can and change on dark modes in your applications. It is possible to activate dark mode on all websites within Chrome.
Many eBook readers come with white-on-black and sepia choices that can be more appealing to the eye than black text against white background. Google Play Books goes a step further by providing the Night Light feature. It is automatically turned on when it is dark, and gradually eliminates any blue-colored light that is on the screen the more dark it becomes.
To activate this feature open a book, press the display Options option, navigate into Lighting and toggle the Reading Night Light switch.
Reduce eye strain on Android
Google’s Night Light feature and apps like Twilight let you make use of your phone without preventing you from falling to sleep. They’re simple to use, and although the result might appear a bit odd at first, you’ll be comfortable with it fast. The reduction in blue light also reduces the harshness of screens and less glare. This could help you if you suffer from headaches or strain your eyes while making use of your smartphone.
Nisha Bhatt
Nisha is a Senior Writer at ModApkMart. She has penned over a hundred articles on MAM covering a wide range of topics.