Blue, Bright, activity… All bad at night.

[Quoth]

It's not the blue but brightness and stimulating content:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...p-you-sleeping

There have been many studies debunking the blue light claim. This is not new news.

Also "dark mode" is inferior readability and was invented on phones for OLED power saving (up to 80%). No power saving on LCD. It's often better to turn the brightness down and use "white" background, but only use Auto outdoors and compare screen with paper illuminated by ambient light to set brightness. Many people have brightness too high indoors (or front light too high on mono eink).

Also reflections off a screen give a headache and make it harder to sleep as the eyes unconsciously change focus distance and tire the muscles.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

It's not the blue but brightness and stimulating content:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...p-you-sleeping

There have been many studies debunking the blue light claim. This is not new news.

Also "dark mode" is inferior readability and was invented on phones for OLED power saving (up to 80%). No power saving on LCD. It's often better to turn the brightness down and use "white" background, but only use Auto outdoors and compare screen with paper illuminated by ambient light to set brightness. Many people have brightness too high indoors (or front light too high on mono eink).

Also reflections off a screen give a headache and make it harder to sleep as the eyes unconsciously change focus distance and tire the muscles.

This blue light does not prevent me from sleeping. I do keep my phone's brightness down except when I need it up for being outdoors (OLED screen).

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Also reflections off a screen give a headache and make it harder to sleep as the eyes unconsciously change focus distance and tire the muscles.

That sounds really, really definitive, but I cannot remember the last headache I ever had (that wasn't a symptom of an illness), or the last restless night I had. And yet the last thing I do at night before sleep is put my tablet on its charger after reading. So I have to believe that perhaps there simply are no accurate one-size-fits-all scientific proclamations about screens being "bad at night." Not entirely sure why so many people seem to want/need there to be. Do what works. Stop doing what doesn't.

[Sirtel]

I usually browse/read something on my phone in bed before sleep (wikipedia etc.) No sleepless nights so far.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That sounds really, really definitive, but I cannot remember the last headache I ever had (that wasn't a symptom of an illness), or the last restless night I had. And yet the last thing I do at night before sleep is put my tablet on its charger after reading. So I have to believe that perhaps there simply are no accurate one-size-fits-all scientific proclamations about screens being "bad at night." Not entirely sure why so many people seem to want/need there to be. Do what works. Stop doing what doesn't.

I don't believe screens are bad at night. Too much stimulation might be an issue for some.

The headache issue isn't everyone and even so is more related to larger screens where there are brightly lit moving objects reflected (people in an open plan office, traffic visible through window at an angle where you get the moving reflection. Not much to do with reading at night. I mentioned it in passing as a more real thing than "blue" light, which might be less pleasant than more orange, but won't keep you awake when it's off.

My curtains / window face the dawn so in the summer (and mid spring to mid autumn) I clip the two middle edges so I'm not wakened early. There is 9.5 hours more daylight here at midsummer than midwinter.

Donegal in Ireland is closer to Newfoundland than Greece and that is a shorter distance than the US-Mexican border. They have even longer summer days and shorter winter ones, on Ireland's northern edge.

[DNSB]

The main hazard for me from reading in bed at night was getting caught up in the story and realizing it was 5AM and I needed to leave for work in 2 hours.

[Deskisamess]

I'm not fond of using any backlit device in a dark room. I need the room to have ambient lighting. Does it bother my sleeping? Maybe, as I get older, sleep is not like it used to be. So when I first get into bed, I'm usually playing games/apps, while laying on my side. My other issue is that I take my glasses off for this, so the device isn't too far from my face, maybe 8". But the room can't be dark. Even with the screen light turned down a lot, to maybe 25% it's bright.

Then I usually read on my Kindle for at least an hour, with the room dark. I don't use dark mode, it's contrast is too mushy for me and the white letters too harsh. If my vision is acting up, a wider line spacing is more helpful than a larger font. I keep the front light about 60% to start with, and go dimmer if I read a long time.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The main hazard for me from reading in bed at night was getting caught up in the story and realizing it was 5AM and I needed to leave for work in 2 hours.

Or it's breakfast time now. At least I make my own hours. As kids we used up torches. My dad when he was in his 80s was reading his kindle, "The screen is better than a candle under the blankets."
He was probably ajoking, but I know he was 7 or 8 when they first had electricity.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I usually browse/read something on my phone in bed before sleep (wikipedia etc.) No sleepless nights so far.

I sometimes watch TV, stream, or YouTube on my phone before I go to sleep. I also sometimes read with the frontlight on and the amber light off. I'm not bothered by this so-called blue light.

[ZodWallop]

I definitely prefer the amber light to the white/blue light. But mostly because it is less harsh in a darkened room. I had no problem reading with white/blue when I was using my Nook STwG and original Kobo Aura.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I definitely prefer the amber light to the white/blue light. But mostly because it is less harsh in a darkened room.

While I don't use screens (or do anything else, even sleep) in a completely dark room, I also prefer warm light in a dimly lit room. Not in daylight, though.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Also reflections off a screen give a headache and make it harder to sleep as the eyes unconsciously change focus distance and tire the muscles.

I'm sure that I'm immune to that. I don't think that I have any muscles left in my eyes. They are pretty much fixed focus with zero accommodation.

I don't like reading in the dark. I need some background lighting.

[Quoth]

I can't read in the dark. I turn on an electric lamp. Also I think in older days they had brighter candles or better eyes. I can't easily read a paper book or ebook by a single ordinary candle. The early Victorian oil lamp works.

I've added 14 solar panels and about 8500 Wh of batteries, so I'll be fine if the grid goes.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I've added 14 solar panels and about 8500 Wh of batteries, so I'll be fine if the grid goes.

"The grid? What grid? We're in the desert."
"I was misinformed."

I've only 2 x 300W panels and 2 x 6V = 2500 Wh of batteries.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Renate

"The grid? What grid? We're in the desert."
"I was misinformed."

I've only 2 x 300W panels and 2 x 6V = 2500 Wh of batteries.

Midwest of Ireland.
Designed for winter, not summer. That's 6 kW of panels on a midsummer day at noon, But only the open circuit voltage is a limit (rises in cold). We can only use up to 3 kW.
But on a typical October day you might get only 200 W from that. December and January have short days. Midwinter 9.5 hours less daylight than midsummer and not as bright either.