5 ms·

Does the color temperature of a computer screen affect sleep patterns?

36 points by sklivvz1971 15y ago

aw3c2 15y ago
I would guess it is not the "temperature" but the overall (feeling of) brightness. And that is a no-brainer for me. Of course bright light means day and activity for us.
Groxx 15y ago
I'm not entirely sold on that theory, though it does make some sense (sunset is a different color than daylight). I use f.lux because my screen looks better, and it definitely reduces eye strain for me.
Yxven 15y ago
While I'm sure it depends on the person, I no longer suffer from insomnia since I installed F.lux. It's free. Why not try it?
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
tptacek 15y ago
Is this really controversial? As a commenter points out, the "opposite" effect is well established. Go to Google Scholar and search [bright light therapy circadian], and skim the abstracts. You can find papers there on color temperature affecting melatonin and core temperature, too. Anecdotally: I'm a F.lux user and I haven't had a severe insomnia episode once since I installed it, and that it in any case reduces eyestrain.
- gwern 15y ago
  It's not controversial at all, you're right. For example, here's a result that electronic devices at night drastically decrease melatonin secretion that I found for my article: http://www.gwern.net/Melatonin#fn12 http://www.gwern.net/Melatonin#fn12
- AJ007 15y ago
  I've been using F.lux for a few months, but had "solved" my sleep problems prior. The secret was to ensure my computer was off 2 hours before my intended sleep time. Interestingly I could sit in from of a 55" LCD television for that time period instead (with the brightness dimmed a bit.) Within two hours I would go to bed and be asleep within 15-20 minutes. As a self employed entrepreneur since I dropped out of college some 5 years ago or so, I had immense difficulty with my sleep patterns until late last year. 24 hour cycles, waking up at midnight, every possible worst combination imaginable. Based on my own personal experience over the years I suspect light intensity and prepping for bed time fixes 90% of the problems -- assuming you are not a user of any type of narcotics or stimulants, prescription or otherwise. To a lesser degree changing my diet and pulling out all added sugar at 95% of dairy probably contributed positively as well.
- michaelchisari 15y ago
  Wow, this is crazy, I just installed F.lux, it dropped down to night-time settings, and I immediately felt my eyelids dropping. I really needed this when I was a teenager.
johkra 15y ago
For X11 users, there's also redshift (http://jonls.dk/redshift/ http://jonls.dk/redshift/). I use it when using the computer at night as it makes for easier reading.
- ajarmoniuk 15y ago
  f.lux doesn't work with 2 monitors; does redshift?
  - peterhajas 15y ago
    Which platform are you on? f.lux on OS X works just fine across many displays.
    - ajarmoniuk 15y ago
      Yes, I should have mentioned my platform. It was Ubuntu Maverick or Lucid. I haven't checked it on any newer version.
  - adambyrtek 15y ago
    Yes, RedShift does support that. I've just tested on a laptop with an external monitor attached.
    - ajarmoniuk 15y ago
      I can confirm that.
  - drivebyacct2 15y ago
    Even the app-indicator version doesn't support 2 monitors? What setup is your dual monitors? I'm trying it out, I don't use gnome-panel applets, those bastardly things.
    - drivebyacct2 15y ago
      Flux definitely works on both of my monitors here just fine.
michaelcampbell 15y ago
I use f.lux, but I wish the transition were slower; I want it to gradually change color over the course of noon or 3 pm or so to sunset, not the 20s or 1 hour choice that it currently has. But otherwise, it's a nice program and does seem to help, although I'm sure everyone will have varying levels of success with it.
sathyabhat 15y ago
Am I the only person to feel that f.lux is counter-productive? I'm not sure if it's me or my laptop screen.
- mike_esspe 15y ago
  F.lux didn't work for me too. I was using it for several weeks without any effect on my sleeping cycle.
- rolleiflex 15y ago
  It changes screen to screen. on my macbook pro screen f.lux produces some mellow golden (?) tint to the screen and basically unnoticeable, but I have a cheap samsung 21 monitor, and on that f.lux makes screen quality deteirorate noticeably. Think of it like that: your lcd is certified to have a certain color gamut at 6800 kelvins. (daylight) But when you push it down to 3000K, there is no guarantee that your lcd will retain same color range - and in most cases it doesn't. That's probably why its about quality of your lcd. Most budget laptops has pretty bad lcd's, so it makes sense that your laptop doesn't fare as well.
  - sathyabhat 15y ago
    For me, it's a case of the colour not being uniform throughout - the lower part is considerably more "whitish" than the upper part, especially with f.lux fully kicked in at night. This basically irritates the heck out of me and I end up disabling it.
car 15y ago
Curiously, a recent study found that evening exposure to LED monitors specifically affected sleep. Here the original paper: http://jap.physiology.org/content/early/2011/03/10/japplphysiol.00165.2011.abstract http://jap.physiology.org/content/early/2011/03/10/japplphys...
gcb 15y ago
OT: when will stack exchange stop? whats next? a web site dedicated to question about buttering a slice of bread only?
pgisaweenis 15y ago
See also the excellent BYM addon for Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/blank-your-monitor-easy-readin/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/blank-your-mo...
Luyt 15y ago
The app 'Shades' for OSX is free and can dim to warm colors, too. http://www.charcoaldesign.co.uk/shades http://www.charcoaldesign.co.uk/shades I use it to dim the LED screen of my bedside MacMini to a very faint yellowish/brown color, which is just right for a totally dark room.

36 points by sklivvz1971 15y ago

aw3c2 15y ago

I would guess it is not the "temperature" but the overall (feeling of) brightness. And that is a no-brainer for me. Of course bright light means day and activity for us.

Groxx 15y ago

I'm not entirely sold on that theory, though it does make some sense (sunset is a different color than daylight). I use f.lux because my screen looks better, and it definitely reduces eye strain for me.

Yxven 15y ago

While I'm sure it depends on the person, I no longer suffer from insomnia since I installed F.lux. It's free. Why not try it?

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

tptacek 15y ago

Is this really controversial? As a commenter points out, the "opposite" effect is well established. Go to Google Scholar and search [bright light therapy circadian], and skim the abstracts. You can find papers there on color temperature affecting melatonin and core temperature, too. Anecdotally: I'm a F.lux user and I haven't had a severe insomnia episode once since I installed it, and that it in any case reduces eyestrain.

gwern 15y ago
It's not controversial at all, you're right. For example, here's a result that electronic devices at night drastically decrease melatonin secretion that I found for my article: http://www.gwern.net/Melatonin#fn12 http://www.gwern.net/Melatonin#fn12
AJ007 15y ago
I've been using F.lux for a few months, but had "solved" my sleep problems prior. The secret was to ensure my computer was off 2 hours before my intended sleep time. Interestingly I could sit in from of a 55" LCD television for that time period instead (with the brightness dimmed a bit.) Within two hours I would go to bed and be asleep within 15-20 minutes. As a self employed entrepreneur since I dropped out of college some 5 years ago or so, I had immense difficulty with my sleep patterns until late last year. 24 hour cycles, waking up at midnight, every possible worst combination imaginable. Based on my own personal experience over the years I suspect light intensity and prepping for bed time fixes 90% of the problems -- assuming you are not a user of any type of narcotics or stimulants, prescription or otherwise. To a lesser degree changing my diet and pulling out all added sugar at 95% of dairy probably contributed positively as well.
michaelchisari 15y ago
Wow, this is crazy, I just installed F.lux, it dropped down to night-time settings, and I immediately felt my eyelids dropping. I really needed this when I was a teenager.

johkra 15y ago

For X11 users, there's also redshift (http://jonls.dk/redshift/ http://jonls.dk/redshift/). I use it when using the computer at night as it makes for easier reading.

ajarmoniuk 15y ago
f.lux doesn't work with 2 monitors; does redshift?
- peterhajas 15y ago
  Which platform are you on? f.lux on OS X works just fine across many displays.
  - ajarmoniuk 15y ago
    Yes, I should have mentioned my platform. It was Ubuntu Maverick or Lucid. I haven't checked it on any newer version.
- adambyrtek 15y ago
  Yes, RedShift does support that. I've just tested on a laptop with an external monitor attached.
  - ajarmoniuk 15y ago
    I can confirm that.
- drivebyacct2 15y ago
  Even the app-indicator version doesn't support 2 monitors? What setup is your dual monitors? I'm trying it out, I don't use gnome-panel applets, those bastardly things.
  - drivebyacct2 15y ago
    Flux definitely works on both of my monitors here just fine.

michaelcampbell 15y ago

I use f.lux, but I wish the transition were slower; I want it to gradually change color over the course of noon or 3 pm or so to sunset, not the 20s or 1 hour choice that it currently has. But otherwise, it's a nice program and does seem to help, although I'm sure everyone will have varying levels of success with it.

sathyabhat 15y ago

Am I the only person to feel that f.lux is counter-productive? I'm not sure if it's me or my laptop screen.

mike_esspe 15y ago
F.lux didn't work for me too. I was using it for several weeks without any effect on my sleeping cycle.
rolleiflex 15y ago
It changes screen to screen. on my macbook pro screen f.lux produces some mellow golden (?) tint to the screen and basically unnoticeable, but I have a cheap samsung 21 monitor, and on that f.lux makes screen quality deteirorate noticeably. Think of it like that: your lcd is certified to have a certain color gamut at 6800 kelvins. (daylight) But when you push it down to 3000K, there is no guarantee that your lcd will retain same color range - and in most cases it doesn't. That's probably why its about quality of your lcd. Most budget laptops has pretty bad lcd's, so it makes sense that your laptop doesn't fare as well.
- sathyabhat 15y ago
  For me, it's a case of the colour not being uniform throughout - the lower part is considerably more "whitish" than the upper part, especially with f.lux fully kicked in at night. This basically irritates the heck out of me and I end up disabling it.

car 15y ago

Curiously, a recent study found that evening exposure to LED monitors specifically affected sleep. Here the original paper: http://jap.physiology.org/content/early/2011/03/10/japplphysiol.00165.2011.abstract http://jap.physiology.org/content/early/2011/03/10/japplphys...

gcb 15y ago

OT: when will stack exchange stop? whats next? a web site dedicated to question about buttering a slice of bread only?

pgisaweenis 15y ago

See also the excellent BYM addon for Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/blank-your-monitor-easy-readin/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/blank-your-mo...

Luyt 15y ago

The app 'Shades' for OSX is free and can dim to warm colors, too. http://www.charcoaldesign.co.uk/shades http://www.charcoaldesign.co.uk/shades I use it to dim the LED screen of my bedside MacMini to a very faint yellowish/brown color, which is just right for a totally dark room.