7 Benefits of the Windows 10 Night Light Mode
Windows Night Light is a relatively new Windows 10 feature that aims to reduce the blue light emanating from the screen. The Night Light mode reduces blue light by enhancing the redder colors, creating a warm, evening-like appearance, but since the Windows 10 Night Light mode isn’t a mandatory feature, some users opt to leave it untouched forever. What are the benefits of Windows 10 Night Light Mode?
Some benefits of the Windows 10 Night Light mode include less blue light emitted at night, helping maintain normal sleep patterns. The feature also helps reduce overall eye strain, allowing you to adjust the settings to your preferences. You can also schedule it to turn on at certain times.
If you’re still reading, chances are you want to know more about Windows 10 Night Light mode and its benefits. Luckily, we know all about it. Read on as we break down the various pros of the useful Windows 10 feature and how to turn it on and make the most of your device.
What is Windows 10 Night Light Mode?
Night Light is a helpful Windows 10 feature designed to minimize the negative impact of bright light browsing. To understand Night Light better, we’ll need to consider our bodies and how they operate. That’s because the blue light emitted by a PC’s screen is similar to the natural light we receive from the sun during the day.
For the sake of our discussion, it’s essential to get this out of the way: the blue light that emanates from your device’s screen isn’t necessarily bad. The problem arises when the blue light is used repeatedly (for extended periods) during the night.
Naturally, the human eyes tend to respond to environmental changes. And since the amount of light in the immediate environment significantly reduces during nighttime, the human eyes tend to struggle to view bright sources or objects. Put simply: reading or looking at a bright light source might interfere with your bodily patterns, more specifically, the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that helps induce sleep during the night.
According to research on man’s natural circadian rhythm, reducing or limiting the emission of blue light during the night impacts sleep patterns positively. As a result, Microsoft sought to introduce the feature in the Windows 10 Creators Update.
Night Light is a valuable feature that works by changing your display’s color temperature, reducing eye strain when using a device during the evening hours. Windows 10’s Night Light shares many similarities with Mac OS’s Night Shift feature and third-party applications like f.lux.
Therefore, once turned on, Night Light strategically alters your display’s color temperature, shifting it towards the redder (warmer) end of the color spectrum.
Night Light has continued to gain widespread popularity and acceptance among many Windows 10 users. Not only is it easy to use, but it also improves the overall user experience.
Below are some of the main benefits of the Windows 10 Night Light Mode.
Night Light helps maintain regular sleeping patterns
Perhaps the most important attribute of Night Light is its ability to maintain a user’s ordinary sleeping patterns. The intensity of the light emanating from the display is less when you alter a device’s color temperature. This change plays a pivotal role in maintaining normal sleep patterns.
The human body is programmed to respond to changes in the external environment. Therefore, when there’s too much light outside, your body will naturally react by producing reduced levels of melatonin. That’s because the body associates light with daytime.
Through the Night Light feature in Windows 10, you can modify the display, switching to a light temperature that creates an evening feeling. Your body (pineal glands) will respond by secreting melatonin, which helps maintain the circadian rhythm.
The main reason behind Microsoft’s decision to integrate Night Light as a feature in Windows 10 is to help clients who use their PCs at night to fall asleep easier after finishing! The normal blue light from PCs can stop this melanin production, making it hard to sleep afterward.
Night Light helps reduce overall eye strain
Another advantage of the Night Light feature is its ability to reduce eye strain, especially when using a device for extended hours. Night Light can’t correct pre-existing eye problems! However, redder and warmer lights are gentler on the eyes while on your PC.
When using your PC during nighttime, chances are your display will be among the brightest light sources in the room, especially when working or browsing on the bed. That means that the bright light produced by the screen might lead to gradual straining, more so if you keep working with blue light at night.
However, with Night Light, you no longer have to worry about straining and gradually damaging your eyes. The setting allows you to regulate the color temperature and set one that matches the amount of light in your room.
You can modify the Night Light Mode Settings
The good thing with Night Light is that it can be modified to suit personal preferences. If you don’t fancy the default changes that Night Light makes to your PC’s display, you can easily adjust the settings and choose your preferred warm colors.
The ability to tweak and modify Night Light accordingly makes the feature especially useful for creatives like video and photo editors who spend hours behind the PC. That means they can set the colors to their preferences to suit the nature of tasks they’re working on. Some photo editors prefer making slight modifications to avoid messing with the color gradient.
Moreover, even students burning the midnight oil when preparing for exams can take advantage of the Night Light feature. And since people have various preferences when it comes to the display brightness, all you’ll need to do is turn on Night Light and input your preferred settings, and voila! You’re good to go.
Night Light is easy for beginners to understand
Windows 10 is notorious for having some hard-to-access (and use) features and settings, but that’s not the case with Night Light. Turning Night Light on couldn’t be any easier on Windows 10 devices (as we’ll discuss later).
In addition to its ease of access, Night Light is also easy to use and modify. Remember, display settings play a huge role in determining user experience when using a device. Therefore, it was important for Microsoft to make Night Light easy to use and relatively accessible.
The Night Light settings page is simplistic and easy to understand, meaning you won’t need to spend a considerable amount of time getting used to how the feature works. There’s a button that allows you to either increase or decrease the color temperature at night.
If you prefer a toned-down temperature that’s closer to blue light, all you’ll need to do is reduce the color temperature by moving the slider towards the left side. However, Microsoft recommends keeping the slider towards the middle for the best outcomes.
You can schedule when it turns on and off
Microsoft appears determined to give users complete control when it comes to Night Light settings. Users can easily set the Night Light to go on and off automatically. A schedule helps ensure that you’re constantly protecting your eyes from straining during the night, thus maintaining your standard sleep patterns.
You can opt to choose a Sunset to Sunrise setting that’ll automatically update daily based on your location. Or, you can set a manual timer to determine when the Night Light setting will go on and off. Either way, the ability to set the on and off time of the Night Light means you’re likely to have an easy time when using the PC.
Night Light is suitable for heavy & light PC users
If you’re the type that sits behind the PC for extended periods during the day or night, then you’ll probably find Night Light to be a useful feature. Working for long hours during the day and working through the night without a change in display colors means your internal clock might still think it’s daytime, making it difficult to catch some much-needed sleep.
But with Night Light, users can rest assured that their PCs won’t interfere with their normal sleeping patterns, nor will it worsen eye strain.
You don’t have to use Night Light all the time
As an optional feature, Night Light will only become active when you decide to use it. That means that without turning Night Light on or scheduling it to turn on and off, the feature won’t make any modifications to your PC’s display.
Night Light can be helpful at times and a distraction when performing tasks like gaming and video editing. Therefore, the ease of turning Night Light on and off gives users the freedom to make the most of their PCs, which plays a massive role in improving the overall user experience.
Disadvantages of Windows 10 Night Light Mode
Night Light comes with a host of advantages that contribute to its ever-increasing popularity. However, the feature is far from perfect, and there are some instances where it won’t improve your performance. Here are the most common disadvantages of this feature:
Night Light Mode alters color accuracy
Perhaps the most significant disadvantage of Windows 10 Night Light mode is the alteration of primary display colors. While this issue might not affect everyone, it can compromise the accuracy of creative professionals who edit videos and photos using Windows. Creatives might need to turn the settings off to maintain a high accuracy level when formatting images and videos.
It might lead to adjustment issues
If you get used to using the setting all the time on your device, you might have adjustment issues when switching to other devices. This can lead to enhanced eye discomfort, especially when working on lengthy projects using a device without Night Light mode. As a result, only use Night Light when working at night.
How to turn Windows 10 Night Light Mode On
As mentioned earlier, enabling Night Light in Windows 10 is pretty straightforward. But adjusting your Windows settings can be a little confusing the first time around. If you’re new to this feature, here’s how to activate it on your PC:
1. Open the Settings App and Choose System
The first step to turning Night Light on is going to the settings app. There are several ways to access settings in Windows 10. You can click on the Start button at the bottom left of the screen (with the Windows logo). Or, you can click the Windows + I buttons on your keyboard (simultaneously) to access the settings app.
Once on settings, you’ll need to click on System to access the display settings.
2. Click on Display and Tap the Night Light Toggle Switch
Once you’ve clicked on display, you’ll see several display settings on the right side of the screen. Tap the toggle switch beneath Night Light to turn the setting on.
Night Light is now on!
However, if activated during the day, the Night Light setting will remain turned off until nighttime, as per Microsoft’s default settings.
Or, you can turn the Night Light mode on through your PC’s Action Center. To access the Action Center, press the Windows key + A or click on the last icon (towards the right) in the task panel.
The Action Center’s settings menu comes with a Night Light button that allows you to access the feature immediately. Just click on Night Light to turn the feature on without having to go through the setting route.
How to adjust Windows 10 Night Light Settings
If you’ve enabled the feature and want to adjust to a different color temperature or set a schedule, then this section will tell you everything you need to know. Here are a few ways to adjust your Windows 10 Night Light settings:
Open Settings, Click on System, then Display
To modify the Night Light, you’ll first need to go to settings where you can make the necessary changes. Once you’ve clicked on settings, double click on the System button before pressing Display.
Click on the Night Light Settings button
On the Display page, you’ll spot several settings, but what you’ll need to focus on is the Night Light settings button. Clicking this button will allow you to choose from either of the following settings:
- Set the temperature. Windows 10 gives you the freedom to choose your preferred color temperature. You’ll spot a slider, which you’ll drag to set to your preferred warmth.
Avoid dragging the slider to both extremes, at least if you want to make the most of the feature. - Set a schedule. The good thing with the Night Light feature is you can easily set an on/off schedule to suit your preferences. In the Night Light settings page, click on the Schedule button, then press on the Set hours option to set your preferred timelines. On default settings, Windows will turn the feature on at night, but you can also allow Windows to detect your location and turn the feature on or off automatically.
FAQs About Windows 10 Night Light Mode
Are you still learning about your Windows 10 features? Let’s answer some questions that readers tend to have about the Night Light Mode!
Is Night Light the Same As Dark Mode?
Although frequently mistaken to mean the same, Night Light and Dark mode perform different roles in Windows 10. Dark mode is a theme that changes the overall appearance of your OS from the traditional white background to a dark one.
And while Dark mode helps to reduce eye strain, it’s yet to be proven to improve sleep patterns as Night Light does. You can use Night Light and Dark modes together.
Can Night Light Mode Damage My Eyes?
In its default mode, Night Light won’t harm your eyes. On the contrary, default Night Light settings help reduce eye strain, which can go a long way in reducing the risks of long-term eye damage. However, Night Light can damage your eyes if you set the color temperatures to extremely warm colors.
Therefore, when setting the color temperature, Microsoft recommends keeping the colors towards the center, as both extremes will limit the effectiveness of the setting. If you’re editing photos and videos, it’s a better idea to turn the feature off and turn it on later.
Should I Use Night Light All Day?
While you can use night light all day, it’s a better idea to use it during the night, preferably a few minutes or hours before sleeping. That’s because night light’s sole purpose is to reduce eye strain, which can end up negatively affecting your sleeping patterns.
But if you prefer to use night light all day, you can adjust the color temperature to suit your preferences. However, night light works best when used during the night.
Wrapping Up
The Night Light mode has gained popularity over the years due to its many advantages. Not only is it easy to use, but it also plays a huge role in maintaining normal sleep cycles. People who use Night Light mode tend to have more regular sleep cycles than those who browse without using the feature.
Other benefits of the useful feature include scheduling an on/off switch to meet your preferences. You can also easily access the feature through the Action Center to turn it off or on, depending on your needs.