It’s an open secret: it has now become commonplace to use our smartphones in bed, in the dark and especially just before falling asleep. This is precisely one of the reasons for the night mode intended to reduce (in theory) eye fatigue, with the aim of improving the quality of our sleep. But is this method really effective or is it, on the contrary, a myth? Researchers carried out the investigation.
At a time when smartphones are attached to our hands all the time, we have developed the (unfortunate) habit of scrolling on our screens just a few minutes before falling into the arms of Morpheus. This is also why smartphone manufacturers have designed night mode, intended to swap blue light for warmer tones. The objective is simple: protect our eyes, reduce eye fatigue and above all guarantee better sleep. However, it could be that this night mode is not so effective after all…
The study comes from a college of researchers from Cincinnati Hospital (Ohio) as well as the Department of Psychology at Brigham Young University in Provo (Utah). To obtain concrete results, the scientists brought together volunteer participants, divided into 3 groups and equipped exclusively with iPhones. The first group used iPhones with Night Shift enabled, thereby filtering out blue light. The participants in the second group, for their part, used the Apple brand’s smartphones without the functionality. Finally, the third group was prohibited from using their smartphones before going to bed.
Does iPhone Night Mode (Night Shift) improve sleep quality?
Although the final result of the study may seem surprising, the scientists simply did not find any particular or significant differences between the three groups. However, different factors were taken into account: the overall quality of sleep, the time it took to fall asleep, the duration of sleep and even the time it took to wake up.
Even if other studies have contradicted these results, it seems that blue light alone does not have a significant effect on the quality of sleep. Despite these results, it is still recommended, from an overall point of view, to move away from screens and not to use your smartphone or tablet just before going to sleep.
Fall for the iPhone
Note that the Night Shift, or any other night mode on Android smartphones, still allows you to rest your eyes and fight against eye fatigue. Offered on most modern devices, this feature remains very useful and can be used on a daily basis, especially when using your smartphone in a dark place.
Sources: ScienceDirect, Phonandroid
