Jan 12, 2016

New Feature in iOS 9 Takes On Insomnia with ‘Night Shift’

Apple announced this week that the new version of iOS 9 would include a feature called Night Shift, aimed to limit iPhone user's exposure to bright, blue-tinted phone screens in the evening. Research suggests that the kind of light emitted from hi-res smartphone screens wreaks havoc on our circadian rhythms, increasing the time it takes to fall asleep and even interferes with overall sleep quality. Night Shift will change the color temperature of iPhone displays depending on the time of day. Night Shift uses a iOS device's clock and geolocation to determine impending nightfall. As the sun sets, users will see the blues drain out of screens, leaving behind a warm orange glow. In the morning, it returns the display to its regular settings. Reading from a hi-res screen, even on a low-brightness setting, not only makes it harder to fall asleep, but also impacts how sleepy and alert you are the next day. While this feature won't curb phone obsession, it will reduce eye strain and may help some people sleep better. For now, the Night Shift feature is available for developers and members of the iOS public program with the beta version of iOS 9.3. The update should be made available to the general public in the coming weeks.