F.lux

Pros

• Improves your quality of sleep
• Easy to turn on and off
• Can be fully automated

Cons

• Must input your exact latitude or address
• Distorts videos and pictures when turned on

F.lux automatically adjusts your screen’s brightness depending on the time of day. Recent studies have revealed that computer screens produce certain wavelengths of light that can impact your sleep schedule and cognitive abilities. When you stare at a computer screen just before you go to bed, your body won’t produce the chemicals that make you feel tired. This simple and lightweight program works on a wide variety of devices, and it could drastically improve your quality of sleep and overall comfort.

Most modern displays produce blue light so that they are easier to see. Unfortunately, the blue lights that those screens produce “trick” your body into thinking that you are in direct sunlight. After just a few minutes, your body will suppress some of the natural chemicals that help you fall asleep. Constantly being exposed to blue light also impacts your circadian rhythm. Research has shown us that those who use computers for multiple hours every day suffer from much higher rates of insomnia and circadian rhythm disorder.

The primary goal of F.lux is to alter your computer's display so that you aren’t constantly bombarded with wavelengths of light that mimic the sun. When this program is first downloaded, you will need to adjust some of the settings so that the screen only changes when the sun sets in your location. That means you will need to input your exact location and current timezone. You can also adjust how much the screen is altered and when the effects take place. Some people prefer to have their screens immediately change as soon as the sun goes down while others prefer gradual changes.

F.lux also has an override button if you want a clear screen with a full range of colors. When you click the override button, you can permanently disable F.lux or have the program turn off for a short period of time. Those who already suffer from sleeping disorders might want to alter their displays permanently, and F.lux is one of the easiest ways to make those changes. Users have the option of turning on F.lux as soon as they open their laptops or turn on their displays. You can also have the software turn off whenever a video is playing.

Tweaking your display settings isn’t necessarily a difficult task, but remembering to make those changes every single day can be tiring. F.lux takes the guesswork out of this process, and it hardly impacts your system’s resources. Anyone who uses electronic devices at night should consider giving F.lux a trial run.

Pros

• Improves your quality of sleep
• Easy to turn on and off
• Can be fully automated

Cons

• Must input your exact latitude or address
• Distorts videos and pictures when turned on