How screens actually affect your sleep

It’s about more than just the blue light.

We’ve all heard that using our phones before bed is bad for us, but do we actually know why?

One of the most commonly cited reasons is that our phone’s blue light is disrupting our ability to fall asleep — but study after study has shown that just changing the color of light, or turning on night mode or night shift, isn’t enough to counteract the effects of our screens. The truth is that color temperature is just one aspect of how our phone light is stimulating our brains. Sleep science suggests that the key to getting good rest is much more complex.

So if using night mode on our phones is not the only solution, and we know we’re likely going to keep scrolling before bed, is there a better way to use our phone at night, without disrupting our sleep?

To find out more, check out Vox Video’s latest.

This video is presented by Brilliant. Head to https://brilliant.org/vox/ for a 30-day free trial and 20% off your annual subscription. Brilliant doesn’t have a say in our editorial decisions, but they make videos like this possible.