f.lux is a free App which filters out the blue light from your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Why you may ask? Exposure to light from screens at night slows melatonin production which disrupts our sleep rhythms, making it hard to fall asleep.
Trouble falling asleep, known as sleep onset insomnia, might be more common than you think. The exact prevalence is not known, however it is estimated to be 7% to 16% in adolescents and young adults and is seen in about 10% of patients presenting to sleep clinics with chronic insomnia.
Using f.lux can adapt the colour of your screen to the time of day. For example, during sundown f.lux will gradually turn your screen a tint of orange (see image below)
Image: Normal screen – left, with f.lux App – right. Source
Both Re-Timer and f.lux place a lot of importance on light exposure – it’s timing and wavelengths. If you have trouble falling asleep, we recommend green-blue light exposure in the morning and avoiding blue-green light at night. If you fall asleep too early, bright light at night is helpful.
The team at f.lux are knowledgeable and their App has been downloaded more than one million times, so we were honoured that F.lux wrote a review about Re-Timer.
Here is what they had to say… f.lux Re-Timer Review.
