We all know that blue light can damage our health to a large extent. In addition to digital eye strain and headaches, being hooked onto digital devices for most of the day and night can cause sleeplessness as well as headaches and watery eyes. In the current age, the most common methods of combating blue light are to wear blue light glasses or to use a phone with night mode. Using this article, we’ll help you decide which one is best for you by analyzing the differences between the two
Night light: what is it?
Night light mode, also known as dark mode, is a feature found in some electronic devices and software applications that changes the color scheme from the typical white background with black text, to a darker background with lighter text. This can make it easier on the eyes when using the device or application in low-light conditions, such as at night or in a dimly lit room. Night mode can also help to conserve battery power on devices with OLED or AMOLED displays.
Some devices have built-in night light mode settings and can be enabled in the device settings, while other devices and applications may require a third-party app or plugin to enable the feature. Night mode reduces glare and allows us to read more comfortably since the contrast and colors contribute to less eye strain.
Blue light: what is it?
Blue light is a type of visible light that is found in the blue and violet part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It has a shorter wavelength and higher energy than other colors of light, such as red and yellow. Sunlight naturally contains blue light, and is also emitted by various electronic devices like Smartphones, TV’s, Computers and other electronic devices.
Exposure to blue light during the day is beneficial for alertness, cognitive function, and overall well-being. However, exposure to blue light at night can be disruptive to sleep patterns. Blue light suppresses melatonin production, which regulates our sleep-wake cycle.
This is the reason why night mode on electronic devices, as well as some software applications, reduce the amount of blue light emitted by the device, which can help to reduce eye strain, improve sleep, and make it more comfortable to use the device or application in low-light conditions, such as at night or in a dimly lit room.
Night light vs. Blue light
- Wavelength: The wavelength of blue light is between approximately 380 and 500 nanometres which is shorter than the wavelengths of other colours of visible light, such as red and yellow whereas the wavelength of night light is around 460 nm
- Filtration– Approximately 100% of blue light in the range 400 nm to 550 nm is filtered by the blue light glasses, according to the studies. On the other side, the amount of the blue light filtered when night light mode is used has not been studied yet
- Color temperature: Blue light typically has a color temperature of around 5500K, which is similar to daylight whereas night light has a color temperature of around warmer colour temperature of around 2700K.
- Photon energy: Blue light has higher photon energy than other colors of visible light which means that blue light photons carry more energy than red or yellow light photons whereas in night lights, the photon energy reaches its maximum energy, frequency, and wavelength in the minimum amount of time
- Spectral power distribution: The spectral power distribution of blue light is highest in the blue and violet part of the spectrum, and decreases as the wavelength gets longer whereas Night light typically inverts the power distribution on colors on the screen, changing the background from white to black and the text from black to white
- Brightness: Blue light is harsher on the eyes and disrupt sleep when viewed at night whereas night light mode will reduce the amount of blue light emitted by the device, which can help to reduce eye strain and improve sleep.
- Melatonin suppression: Blue light suppresses the production of the hormone melatonin more than other colors of light, which can make it harder to fall asleep and cause insomnia whereas night light doesn’t have any effect on melatonin suppression.
- Display technology: Blue light is emitted by most electronic displays, including LCD, OLED, and LED displays whereas night light is emitted by some devices such as smartphones by enabling a system-wide night light mode, which will change the color scheme of all apps and settings on the device.
The research concluded that smartphone users may be more comfortable using dim cooler lights at night and brighter warmer lights during the day. However, if you still experience eye strain or sleep problems even after switching to the night mode settings, visit an ophthalmologist to determine what else might be causing the problem.