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Your Computer Or iPad Could Be Disrupting Sleep
Crash McBang sends in a CNN report on electronics and sleeplessness and asks, "So, what do Slashdotters do to get a good night's rest?" "More than ever, consumer electronics — particularly laptops, smartphones, and Apple's new iPad — are shining bright light into our eyes until just moments before we doze off. Now there's growing concern that these glowing gadgets may actually fool our brains into thinking it's daytime. Exposure can disturb sleep patterns and exacerbate insomnia, some sleep researchers said in interviews. ... Unlike paper books or e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle, which does not emit its own light, the iPad's screen shines light directly into the reader's eyes from a relatively close distance. That makes the iPad and laptops more likely to disrupt sleep patterns than, say, a television sitting across the bedroom or a lamp that illuminates a paper book, both of which shoot far less light straight into the eye, researchers said."
I've noticed an improvement in my sleep patterns since I set a curfew for the computers, stopping any use of them two or three hours before bedtime.
Simple solution: TURN THE DEVICE OFF!
Yeah, I know. It's primitive and crude to be pressing the off button on a device. It's not that hard. Using a power strip to turn off a bunch of "always on" devices (i.e., everything connected to TV) not only makes it easy to turn turn them off but also saves electricity when you're not using them.
There's a much simpler solution. Works with or without a computer. It's called a "sleep mask" and does not require USB, batteries or proprietary power connector. There are even versions that will muffle sound (see "Sleep Master Sleep Mask").
I started using a sleep mask in my 30's, when I had a really bad bout of insomnia. It was just the thing. Even if you don't want to sleep all night with one, if you want to take a short nap during the day these will really help out a lot. And naps are fantastic. I don't care if they look goofy. I'm an old married guy so I don't need to try to impress anyone while I sleep.
Sleep is one of the great gifts that we are granted as humans. I squandered so many hours in my twenties and thirties when I could have been sleeping, and then abused coffee and other stimulants to try to cope. Then I'd wonder why I felt strung-out and had jangly nerves. Now, I look forward to sleep with great joy and anticipation. It is high on my list of favorite things to do, for at least eight hours every night. I would give up my latest tech gadget long before I'd part with my flannel sheets, goose-down pillow and chamomile/spearmint tea.
You are welcome on my lawn.
That's what f.lux is for. It changes the temperature of your screen according to the time (sunrise/sunset). It works under Mac, Linux, Windows ; a real gem.
Bump. Installing F.lux for me was like discovering that I had been secretly poisoned by mercury for the last several years. I simply could not believe how much strain was lifted from my eyes by keeping it on. My ability to sleep has substantially improved, and I get substantially fewer headaches during marathon coding sessions. It has an almost undetectable memory footprint, and you will completely forget it is there. Turning it off is an interesting experience, as it is an instant demo of exactly how penetrating monitor light can be! I recommend it to all of my friends and family. Of course, most people will just have to see for themselves, as I can only speak for myself. In my opinion, however, the function provided is important enough that it's absence as a default feature in OS's seems kind of irresponsible, if not just negligent and a reflection of poor UI research and design.