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  Technology   Mobiles & Tabs  07 Feb 2019  Android app to prevent mobile device induced insomnia

Android app to prevent mobile device induced insomnia

DECCAN CHRONICLE
Published : Feb 7, 2019, 4:16 pm IST
Updated : Feb 7, 2019, 4:16 pm IST

LED based, digital screens emit three different colors - Red, Green & Blue.

When our brain receives Blue colored light, it perceives it as a signal to get alert.
 When our brain receives Blue colored light, it perceives it as a signal to get alert.

Use of mobile devices after sunset makes it difficult for our brain to sleep. The android app, Night Shift, solves this problem.

Insomnia, or not being able to sleep, is emerging as a big challenge with estimated 30% of people in US suffering from it. One of the major cause is the use of digital devices.

LED based, digital screens emit three different colors - Red, Green & Blue. When our brain receives Blue colored light, it perceives it as a signal to get alert. So if we use our mobile phones up to three hours before our bedtime (or anytime after sunset), our brain recognizes it as a signal to be alert, and this leads to loss of sleep or insomnia.

The latest research suggests that delayed production of melatonin due to blue light exposure at night is causing far more problems than insomnia, from diabetes and certain types of cancer to lupus and migraine headaches. Optometrists are even seeing high levels of retinal stress in young people.

“Light at night is bad for your health, and exposure to blue light emitted by electronics and energy-efficient light bulbs may be especially so.” - Harvard Medical School

Night Shift is an android app which solves this by regulating exposure to blue light emitted from mobile devices. By using this app, a user reduces the amount of blue light he/she is exposed to after sunset, and the user can thus sleep more easily.

The app currently has over 100,000 downloads from 100+ countries with 1000+ reviews and ratings. It has been featured as top 100 apps in health category in 26 countries.

Tags: night shift, android, app, insomnia, sleep, smartphone