
, to truly embrace a modern understanding of Disability Pride, one must recognize that its very foundation is built upon Disability Justice. Effects of blue light on the circadian system and eye physiology. aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/blue-light-digital-eye-strain Does the iPad night shift mode reduce melatonin suppression? .gov/31191118/ Symptoms associated with reading from a smartphone in conditions of light and dark. Effects of smartphone use with and without blue light at night in healthy adults: A randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled comparison. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. Dark mode may increase the battery life on your deviceīut if you’re looking at screens a lot, it can’t hurt to add an hour or two between charges of your device. Dark mode may cut down on blue light exposureīlue light exposure does have demonstrated side effects, such as difficulty sleeping and eye strain.ĭark mode may cut down on your exposure to blue light, but you may also achieve these results by turning down the brightness of your screen after dark, especially when the space around you is dark. Since reading for long spans of time on a screen can lead to eye strain and dry eye, it seems like it might be worth giving it a try to give your eyes a break. This would, in theory, make it easier to read on your device. Dark mode may reduce eye strainįans of dark mode claim that it can increase the amount of contrast between the text that you’re reading and the background. But anecdotally, some people claim that using dark mode does benefit them. The research into dark mode’s effects is far from conclusive.
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Some research has suggested that there may be some connection between blue light and how quickly you fall asleep.Ī small study published in 2017 showed that playing games on a smartphone right before bed caused people to take longer to fall sleep as compared to those who used a blue light filtering software on their device. The AAO officially recommends reducing glare and brightness by changing the settings on your screen as well as setting devices to dark or night mode. This finding seems to line up with official recommendations from experts. Turning down the device’s brightness settings appeared to be equally (or perhaps more) important. The study’s authors further suggested that Night Shift alone wouldn’t be enough to restore circadian rhythm. Some research has been done specifically on the impact of dark mode on people’s ability to fall asleep.Ī 2019 study of Apple’s dark mode settings didn’t demonstrate any notable difference in melatonin production between people who used Night Shift on their iPad before bed and people who didn’t. However, it seems dark mode is more likely to affect sleep rhythm than eye strain. Studies on whether dark mode and other blue light filtering solutions work to mitigate blue light exposure are inconclusive. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) states that digital eye strain is caused by the way we use our digital devices, not necessarily the blue light that comes from them. These anecdotes about blue light and eyes aren’t necessarily backed by research or supported by expert opinion, though. The reduction in blue light may reduce any squinting or strain associated with high amounts of brightness. In theory, this is because default screen settings expose you to more blue light after dark, disrupting your circadian rhythm and suppressing melatonin, the hormone that signals your body that it’s bedtime.ĭark mode may also be easier to read, especially when you’re in a room with the lights off. People who promote dark mode sometimes claim that using it in the hours before bedtime helps them to fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep for longer periods of time. While we’re only now starting to understand the side effects of excessive blue light exposure from screens, you can imagine why it would start to confuse your eyes. These waves have more energy than other colors of light and send our brains the signal that it’s daytime.

But blue light comes primarily from the sun, scatters into our atmosphere, and colors our sky blue.

To understand whether dark mode has any health benefit, we first have to consider the way the blue light affects our eyes.īlue light waves are emitted from our screen devices.
