The more digital our work becomes, the more time spent looking at computer screens. It’s not just the brightness of your screen you should be worried about.
The Blue light from the screen suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps us regulate our sleeping cycles.
- Melatonin helps our bodies know when it’s time to fall asleep, but looking at screens producing blue light for hours at night can suppress our melatonin levels enough that it becomes difficult to fall asleep.
- Blue light is actually beneficial during the day, as it can boost attention and reaction times, but becomes detrimental after sunset when our bodies want to start winding down for sleep.
- Install f.lux on your computer. It’s a free program that adds a warm glow to your screen after sundown, limiting the blue wave light hitting your eyes so the strain will be lessened if you’re working into the night.
Positioning your screen correctly can further improve your setup and help you avoid eyestrain or tiredness.
Your screen should be about an arm’s length away from you (roughly 20-28 inches from your eyes).
