[stinos]

How to block all blue light from your devices

I can't help but think 'turn them off' is the most obvious answer here. The author seems to think he needs the iPad/laptop to fall asleep. Well, that's simply being untruthful to yourself. It's just a habit, and with some correct training (and eventually even seeing a psychologist) he can replace it with another, probably healthier, habit. Like reading a book or meditation.

[delinka]

He explained that the only method that got his brain disengaged was to watch TV series re-runs. Reading kept him engaged. He couldn't cope with reading boring things (in my case, I'd just give up on the boring material, lay it aside and then lay in bed for hours trying to get to sleep...)

So, you turn on the TV in the bedroom and annoy your sleeping partner - no, this won't do. So you go to another room to watch and fall asleep elsewhere and relationship issues ensue with your sleeping partner. Nope, not gonna cut it.

Tablet, dimmed, in bed, with re-runs ... and it works for this guy.

[the_watcher]

He tried removing it entirely, he mentioned reading in the post. Why isn't it ok that he found a way to get to sleep easier with his devices?

[stinos]

Because in my opinion (solely based on intuition and vague memories of things read in scientific articles on the matter), as a solution for sleep problems, it's still inferior to just turning them off.

I know he mentions books in the articles but put them away because they either were either too exciting or too boring. To me that sounds like not having tried hard enough. As I said: replacing such nightly habit with another one isn't easy.

[the_watcher]

As someone who suffers from the same kinds of sleep issues he does (especially his point about letting his brain unwind with old TV shows), I think it's much more important to find something that works without you having to fight hard for it (at least at first, maybe if now he starts slowly replacing some of his devices with books, etc. he'll have more success).

I've found success with a formula much more like yours (no blue light for an hour before bed unless absolutely necessary). I understand what he means about books being too exciting or boring too. What I've done is what he does with TV: I reread books (I also lean towards very simple to read books). Just this year I've done Liar's Poker, Moneyball, The Hobbit, and am working my way through the original Bourne series.

[eli]

I'm not sure I get why reading a book is so much worse than a reading on an iPad. You mean because of the backlit screen?

[the_watcher]

Blue light. It's the whole reason f.lux and blue light filters exist, and why the Kindle Paperwhite is such an amazing device: front-lit with no blue light.

[mosselman]

I agree.

He tried reading and stayed up reading and it didn't work. But what about stopping all electronic things after 21:00 and then reading on your couch NOT bed, then go to bed at 22:30? You'll sleep like a baby.