Computer screens being redesigned to help sleep

Experts say we shouldn’t spend more than six hours a day in front of a computer, as screens get redesigned to aid sleep.

Ophthalmologist Vincent Gualino warned that people should not spend more than six hours a day in front of a computer screen.

Computer screens are being redesigned to help people to sleep better after scientists found that they were disrupting the body’s internal clock.

Big technology companies have started to make safe screens for smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers that reduce the amount of blue light they emit. Scientists believe that deep blue light interferes with our circadian rhythms, which tell the body when it is time to wake up or go to sleep.

The light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in modern computer screens emit a high level of this light, which falls towards the ultraviolet end of the spectrum.

At the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, manufacturers including Philips, Asus, BenQ and ViewSonic have exhibited screens that restrict deep blue light emissions.

Paul Gray, an analyst at IHS Global Insight, said: “We’ve been told from a very early age by parents that too much screen time, in front of a TV or a computer, is bad. So a ‘safe’ screen might resonate with consumers.”

Vincent Gualino, an ophthalmologist, said: “We should not be afraid of the screens... the real problem is over-consumption.” He warned that people should not spend more than six hours a day in front of a computer screen.

Apps such as one called f.lux have been developed to restrict the amount of deep blue light emitted by screens.

The Times