“If, five hours ago, there was a lot of light, and now there’s some light from your screen however much less, the brain will still understand that it should be night now, even though there’s still light coming through,” she states. You want to be in sleep-inducing dim light a couple of hours before bed, however, so a short burst of bright light is the goal here: Go outside and enjoy the sunset if you can, or brighten the kitchen lights as you eat or cook supper. Turning on intense lights in the night can give your body a possibility to come down from heavier exposure in a few hours, when you’re in bed on your phone with the lights out.

“If, 5 hours back, there was a lot of light, and now there’s some light from your screen but much less, the brain will still know that it needs to be night now, even though there’s still light coming through,” she says. You want to be in sleep-inducing dim light a couple of hours prior to bed, however, so a brief burst of bright light is the goal here: Go outdoors and enjoy the sundown if you can, or lighten up the kitchen area lights as you consume or cook dinner. Turning on brilliant lights in the night can offer your body an opportunity to come down from much heavier direct exposure in a couple of hours, when you’re in bed on your phone with the lights out. “The material of what you’re doing on your screens might be simply as crucial as the light exposure, “Dr. Wu states.