How screens actually affect your sleep

It’s about more than just the blue light.

We’ve all heard that using our phones before bed is bad for us, but do we actually know why?

One of the most commonly cited reasons is that our phone’s blue light is disrupting our ability to fall asleep. And study after study has shown that just changing the color of light, or turning on night mode or night shift, isn’t enough to counteract the effects of our screens. The truth is that color temperature is just one aspect of how our phone light is stimulating our brains. Sleep science suggests that the key to getting good rest is much more complex.

So if using night shift on our phones is not the only solution, and we know we’re likely going to keep scrolling before bed, is there a better way to use our phones at night...without disrupting our sleep?

Sources and further reading:

[shoriryu]

bold of you to assume that I feel alert and awake in the morning, Vox

[DaxSkrai]

I used to educate people on good sleep habits (sleep hygiene). My number one advice to help you sleep at night? Don't do ANYTHING in your bed unless it's sleeping. If your body believes every time you lay in bed that the ONLY thing that's about to happen is sleep, it'll learn pretty quick. In my opinion, that's the real issue with using your phone before bed. The fact that you're training your body that "bed time" is actually time".

[k.cooper]

I always find Dark Mode more useful than Night Shift.

[baverskalle]

Been watching tons of these kinds of videos, but you actually brought something new to the table. Phone time (20 minutes ok), level of nights, phone distance, and changing the amount of morning light. Thank you.

[merrymachiavelli]

I've got no idea how helpful this actually is, but I have automated lighting in my bedroom that goes from cold to warm throughout the day, and gets darker as it gets to when I sleep.

Since I start using it I rarely get insomnia, at least if I'm not ill or something.

[njott]

A big factor that negatively affects your sleep because of your phone is mental stimulation. The small novel hits of dopamine prevents your body from properly resting. Some people won't have an issue, but some people can hit the pillow tired but can stay up scrolling for hours. Other can even fall asleep while doom scrolling, chances are their quality of sleep is being negativity effected.

[FusionC]

I work midnights. I like to walk to work (about 35mins) it wakes me up and energizes me so I'm not tired when I show up for my shift (which involves siting at a desk mostly). When I walk home its my favorite part of the day because that sunny walk always puts me in an amazing mood, especially if I don't have to work the next day. its like waking up on Saturday morning. (almost lol)

[ShadowKingpin]

I always recommend reading a book while in bed, as it help immensely with not looking at blue light, and it will eventually make you tired. Once I changed to this routine, I have been sleeping like a baby.

[thor.mukbang]

The sunset light always gives me so much energy, where as daylight just makes me stressed

[someguy]

2:41 Higher CCT is not higher shift, it is the opposite. CCT means Correlated Color Temperature, which are the numbers you were discussing at 1:23. I don't know what the author's basis is for "not significant" but figure 4 in the paper seems pretty clear that CCT is an important factor, just not the only one.

[-ihhssan-]

Honestly, it just displays how awesome our bodies are and how poorly we take care of it... Brilliant video !

[RILDIGITAL]

The complexities of sleep science and our intricate relationship with screens are really fascinating. To healthier relationships with our gadgets and better sleep.

[medicalmelonplayground]

Funny thing is I’m watching this while in bed

[Fgyt]

Watching this at 3am when I have to get up early tommorow you can’t save me Vox

[raghav]

Night shift is a work shift in India. People working with computers all night, sleep all day.

[kebyzak]

loved how author put olivia rodrigo's song 'bad idea right?' 🤣

[luuketaylor]

I feel like you arrived at one of the most important, newer reasons for these issues before ending the video: short form scrollable content served up by an algorithm. Shorts, Reels, TikToks, and the like are destroying attention spans. Yes, it's one part of the pie, but it's relatively new and already wreaking havoc.

[gnersver]

Thanks for the knowledge! (watched at 2.30 in the morning)

[flamingscar]

Another important factor for specifically waking up is eating, light isn't the only thing that controls our circadian rhythm but our digestive system has good impact as well, if your someone to eat before you go to bed, that will impact your sleep, your digestive system will send a signal to your brain saying "HEY, don't go to sleep yet, I need to divest this food" and the same is true in the morning, your body will adjust to making you feel more alert based on when in the day you eat. If your trying to manipulate your circadian rhythm then eat right as you wake up, and a decent sized meal as well not just like a muffin, and opposite for sleeping, we often think that we should eat big meals for dinner, but that will harm your sleep, a big meal takes more time to digest.

Also someone may say "but doesn't food make you tired? Yes, that's because your using energy ro digest it, but your stomach wants you awake while you do that, but some individual foods will contain chemicals that make you tired, we all know how Thanksgiving turkey makes you feel, that's because turkey contains chemicals that play a similar role to melatonin

[thepenguin]

I use devices with screens constantly, and I vehemently stand behind changing the temperature* of the screen using native settings (night light, night shift, etc)
Set it to a sunset-sunrise schedule and it'll automatically shift perfectly

*don't use filters that just add the colour red or orange but translucent. This is still emitting blue light