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Oyster’s new light-adjusting ebook feature could help you sleep better

Oyster’s new light-adjusting ebook feature could help you sleep better

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A book before bedtime can be a good way to unwind after a day spent staring at computer screens, but what if your tome of choice is on your smartphone or tablet? Won't the bright light mess with your sleep? Ebook subscription service Oyster certainly thinks so, and has released a new feature for its mobile apps named Lumin, which automatically adjusts your device's light levels based on the time of day. The result, they say, is better sleep and less eye strain — good news for habitual late-night readers.

Scientists think shorter wavelengths of light — like the color blue — disrupt sleep

Like the popular desktop software Flux, Lumin doesn't just dim a user's screen, but instead reduces the amount of blue light it's emitting. Scientists have suggested that these shorter wavelengths of light are more disruptive to our sleep than incandescent lighting (or no light at all of course), as they suppress the body's production of the sleep hormone melatonin. However, it should be noted that studies supporting this theory have been based on small samples, and a good night's sleep is the product of many different factors, including diet and exercise. Still, for those that want every advantage they can get when it comes to getting a solid eight hours' sleep, Lumin will certainly be worth investigating.