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Warm light doesn't make people sleepy, blue light keeps people awake. So basically: you are sleep deprived, the blue light is keeping you awake, and without rea

Warm light doesn't make people sleepy, blue light keeps people awake. So basically: you are sleep deprived, the blue light is keeping you awake, and without realizing it you consider that a feature rather than a bug, whereas many other people conclude the opposite. Which is of course fine, you decide what's best for you. Given how big of an impact good sleep (or lack thereof) has on my physical and mental health I am in the latter camp too, using a red filter on my screens even during day-time, but everyone's situation is different.

TeMPOraL 5y ago
That's a possible explanation, but the same happens to me during the day, even when I'm well rested. Cold light is much closer to natural sunlight than warm light. So working in a warm-lighted environment can be seen as being deprived of the blue parts of the spectrum that should be there. Blue light keeping you awake is a feature because the natural environment in which we evolved is saturated by it during the day. I use blue light filters on my screens too, but they're timed to turn on around sunset. Ideally, everyone would have adequate access to raw sunlight during the day, but that's not the case for many (myself included) - whether because they live/work in a city, or because it's overcast weather, or both (like me, right now).
- vanderZwan 5y ago
  Right, makes sense. Sounds like that was the bit of context I was missing and also taking for granted: available natural sunlight. And I should have thought of that, honestly: I work next to a window with lots of light during summer, but in winter I use a high-power lamp to fake sunlight. (plus I happen to treat blue light filters as an "default with opt-out possibility" kind of setting in general)
- vanderZwan 5y ago
  I do wonder if you might benefit more (during daytime) from a high-powered daylight lamp though, since light intensity also matters when regulating sleep cycles.
  - TeMPOraL 5y ago
    Quite likely. I'm considering it for my new location. My current home office has a ceiling light fixture with three slots, adapted to low-wattage incandescents. I've plugged in three Hue bulbs I had sitting in a drawer, and tuned them to full intensity and color temperature as close to natural daylight as the bulbs can get. As a result, the lights almost always outshine the available daylight. I feel pretty comfortable with this temperature and intensity. Plus, my eyestrain reduced a bit, as the difference between room lightning and computer screen brightness isn't that big anymore. On evenings, my color filters kick in on the screens, and I either kill two of the three bulbs, or bring their color temperature down.
    - vanderZwan 5y ago
      Happy experimenting after the move then, I hope it works out!

TeMPOraL 5y ago

That's a possible explanation, but the same happens to me during the day, even when I'm well rested. Cold light is much closer to natural sunlight than warm light. So working in a warm-lighted environment can be seen as being deprived of the blue parts of the spectrum that should be there. Blue light keeping you awake is a feature because the natural environment in which we evolved is saturated by it during the day. I use blue light filters on my screens too, but they're timed to turn on around sunset. Ideally, everyone would have adequate access to raw sunlight during the day, but that's not the case for many (myself included) - whether because they live/work in a city, or because it's overcast weather, or both (like me, right now).

vanderZwan 5y ago
Right, makes sense. Sounds like that was the bit of context I was missing and also taking for granted: available natural sunlight. And I should have thought of that, honestly: I work next to a window with lots of light during summer, but in winter I use a high-power lamp to fake sunlight. (plus I happen to treat blue light filters as an "default with opt-out possibility" kind of setting in general)
vanderZwan 5y ago
I do wonder if you might benefit more (during daytime) from a high-powered daylight lamp though, since light intensity also matters when regulating sleep cycles.
- TeMPOraL 5y ago
  Quite likely. I'm considering it for my new location. My current home office has a ceiling light fixture with three slots, adapted to low-wattage incandescents. I've plugged in three Hue bulbs I had sitting in a drawer, and tuned them to full intensity and color temperature as close to natural daylight as the bulbs can get. As a result, the lights almost always outshine the available daylight. I feel pretty comfortable with this temperature and intensity. Plus, my eyestrain reduced a bit, as the difference between room lightning and computer screen brightness isn't that big anymore. On evenings, my color filters kick in on the screens, and I either kill two of the three bulbs, or bring their color temperature down.
  - vanderZwan 5y ago
    Happy experimenting after the move then, I hope it works out!