iPad Could Disrupt Your Sleep; Kindle Not So Much

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dxwarlock

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so in other words..lighting thats on (ipad or bedside lamp) when used for reading can keep you awake?

they spent money on this research, to point out that bright lights can keep it from being dark in your sleep environment?

next on the slate for review. if engaging in the activity of jogging can disrupt your ability to sleep while doing so.
 

mavanhel

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Why does this article discuss just the iPad? If you have a laptop the exact same effect should be seen as well. So mentioning the iPad is just to attract readers?
 

smlong

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[citation][nom]DXWarlock[/nom]so in other words..lighting thats on (ipad or bedside lamp) when used for reading can keep you awake?they spent money on this research, to point out that bright lights can keep it from being dark in your sleep environment?next on the slate for review. if engaging in the activity of jogging can disrupt your ability to sleep while doing so.[/citation]
You apparently didn't comprehend the article. The research showed that using light emitting electronic devices BEFORE going to sleep can impact your sleep cycle. The research also showed that the Kindle/eInk readers do not exacerbate this effect as much as the iPad. While watching a TV or reading w/ a light source prior to bed can affect your sleep cycle, the effect is much more pronounced with the iPad since it is "right in your face."
 

waylander

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[citation][nom]DXWarlock[/nom]so in other words..lighting thats on (ipad or bedside lamp) when used for reading can keep you awake?they spent money on this research, to point out that bright lights can keep it from being dark in your sleep environment?next on the slate for review. if engaging in the activity of jogging can disrupt your ability to sleep while doing so.[/citation]

Ummm.... it does state before bed...

Frisca Yan-Go, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center in Santa Monica, told the LA Times that really, you shouldn't be playing with light-emitting gadgets before bed.

and I completely agree. Any activity that tells your body it should be awake would make getting to sleep harder.
 

HolyCrusader

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I must be an anomaly then - I have a fairly regular sleep cycle despite the bright, LCD Monitor I use. What sometimes causes me to get to be a little later isn't the bright monitor, but what I might be doing at the time. Playing a game, or doing some creative writing will keep me awake far longer than me just browsing the internet.

I wonder if their study took that into account? You can't do much more on the Kindle other than read something, whereas an iPad, Laptop or even my old Palm T|X can do so much more. So did their test groups actually DO the exact same thing on their given devices?
 

mianmian

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So light emitting devices are no good to sleep, but light reflecting ones are OK?
should I use a mirror to read the Ipad?
 

maestintaolius

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Melanopsin is strongly affected by blue light (and blue light sources like lcd screens and light bulbs) and it is what regulates your sleep cycles and pupil light response. Basically, it is what tells you to be sleepy when it is too dark to see anything so the lion doesn't surprise you and eat you.

Anyone who has owned lizards is probably familiar to this concept (the red night bulb. Anyone who has attended a star party is also probably familiar to this because you use red flashlights to find your way around so you don't affect other people's night vision as badly as a white light would. This is also why I use a dim red light at night to read when I'm before I go to sleep. A Kindle, since it's a passive display, would work better in this case than a light emitting display would.
 

Silmarunya

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[citation][nom]nebun[/nom]turn the brightness down...problem slightly solved[/citation]

Even at lower brightness, an LCD still emits light. Less, but still enough to be troublesome.
 

cirdecus

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Call me insane, but why hasn't anyone mentioned the simple "brightness" setting? Or is that not an option on the iPad?

If it is, its very simple.. uhh turn the brightness down...??
 

cirdecus

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Call me insane, but why hasn't anyone mentioned the simple "brightness" setting? Or is that not an option on the iPad?

If it is, its very simple.. uhh turn the brightness down...??
 

cirdecus

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[citation][nom]cirdecus[/nom]Call me insane, but why hasn't anyone mentioned the simple "brightness" setting? Or is that not an option on the iPad?If it is, its very simple.. uhh turn the brightness down...??[/citation]

thats the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I can turn my LCD on my iphone down so far i can barely see it. Not exactly sure what you call "troublesome" but if its causing too much trouble, you probably shouldn't even be using your eyes before bed.
 

jecastej

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So the iPad is "perfect" for me because I read, write and design up to very late at night and it is not going to affect my sleep cycle more than already is. What if I use the iPad during the daytime and stop using it before going to sleep, should I stop buying one because of this study. What I want to know then is how long before the sleep time should I stop using LCD screens.

I am sorry for the Kindle and other ereaders based on the same technology they are great for what they do but I don't find them attractive enough to pay for them. I prefer to use a tablet PC or iPad knowing their shortcomings and limitations.
 

WR

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[citation][nom]Silmarunya[/nom]Even at lower brightness, an LCD still emits light. Less, but still enough to be troublesome.[/citation]
Of course a Kindle is best before sleep because it gives off no light. When it gives off no light you can't even read it. :)

I don't see them distinguishing reflectivity from emissivity, i.e., the difference between a Kindle in a room lit just enough for reading and an iPad backlit just enough to read in a dark room. Both cases would be somewhat uncomfortable; the iPad is just easier to brighten up. Then there is the question of warm white vs. cool white.
 

gogogadgetliver

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I would find the act of holding up a 1.5lb device to interfere with my sleep.

I know it's a very lightweight device (and MAD props to apple for pulling it off) but honestly it feels like a brick compared to the kindle I'm used to.
 

tleavit

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Dont knock how good the Kendle is on the eyes before trying one for a book (for example, read Game of thrones). I read a lot and when my wife bought me the Kendle I didn't think I would leave books. But the device is the perfect book reader. I absolutely would NOT want to have to read as much as I do on an LCD. also, BTW... its absolutely horrible on your eyes to sit in the dark and sit there read off an LCD.
 
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