Apple has finally introduced an exciting new feature on our iPhones that could help us sleep better.
The Night Shift tool, rolled out with iOS 9.3, is designed to turn the cold blue light emanating from your screen to warmer oranges and reds.
It follows a wealth of research examining the effect blue light has on circadian rhythms, which is a rough 24-hour cycle of physiological processes our bodies follow.
"Blue light plays havoc with your sleep by disrupting your circadian rhythms, Anne-Marie Chang, a neuroscientist and sleep expert at Pennsylvania State University, told the Scientific American.
These cycles are controlled by a small group of brain cells known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).
When there is light, the SCN reduces the production of a hormone called melatonin.
When it is dark, the process is reversed and more melatonin is released into our bloodstream.
As a result of this, we start to feel less alert and more sleepy and eventually catch a few more zzzs.
Blue light is thought to be particularly disruptive to this process as it makes the body believe it is still daylight.
In theory, iOS 9.3 aims to reduce this effect by automatically switching to Night Shift at sunset.
You can schedule when Night Shift switches on by going into
1. Settings
2. Display and Brightness
3. Nightshift
4. Scheduled
You can also tweak how warm you would like your screen light to be by sliding the toggle on the scale below.
