When people go out during the day, they are exposed to blue light from the sun. It is a beneficial light that improves alertness, key to maintaining mental performance to get through the day. However, there is something else that emits this energizing light that people use every day: computers. So when you use them at night, they can disrupt your sleep cycle and keep you from sleeping past your bedtime. Additionally, looking at a screen emitting blue light in low light conditions can cause eye strain.
This is why operating systems like Windows have a feature called Night Light, which should not be confused with dark mode. Even Macs, iPhones and iPads have it (it’s called Night Shift). It makes screen colors warmer and less vibrant, making your PC screen appear to have a yellowish tint. As well as minimizing the impact of blue light, this also makes the screen more comfortable to look at, which can reduce eye strain.
So, if you plan to use your computer in the evening or if you experience eye strain, you should turn on the night light. However, for eye strain, this might not be enough. You should also use the 20-20-20 rule in addition to lowering the screen brightness, enabling dark mode, and resting your eyes. With Night Light, you don’t need blue light blocking glasses.
Activating the night light in Windows
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You can activate Night Light on your PC in two ways. The first and quickest is to press Win + A to bring up Quick Settings, then click the “Night Light” tile. You can also do this in the Settings app by pressing Win + I and going to System > Display and clicking the button next to “Night Light.” You can also use obscure Windows apps like f.lux to make the screen colors warmer if you find that the default night light isn’t working for you.
After turning on Night Light, you should see the yellowish tint applied immediately. This is just the default temperature, but you can adjust its strength. The warmer it is, the more it blocks blue light. To do this, go to System > Display > Night Light to view more settings. Now adjust the “Strength” slider by moving it to the right to increase its heat and to the left to reduce it.
You can also automate when the night light should turn on. To do this, go to System > Display > Night Light and enable “Scheduling”. Next, click the “Sunset to Sunrise” radio button so that it turns on at that time in your time zone. Alternatively, you can click the “Set Times” radio button to manually enter when it turns on and off.
