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tldr: I'm able to sleep better after installing software to control the blue light emissions from my laptop screen and phone (links to the software at the end of the post).
Apparently there's this thing about excessive blue light from the displays of our computers/tablet/phone that tricks your brain into believing that it's day time, which could mess with your body clock. As a result, you may not be able to sleep immediately after going to bed particularly if you had just shut down your laptop or finished responding to emails on your phone, etc.
There are these programs (and, "apps") that cut out much of the blue spectrum emitted by the display. Or something like that. That's not important; what's important is that this results in two things:
- The display is going to look somewhat reddish as most of the blue is cut out. It's quite odd at the beginning, but I got used to it pretty quickly. This reduces the strain on your eyes.
- Your brain is no longer confused by the light, and your body clock is not disturbed as a result. You are therefore able to sleep quickly after going to bed, and get good quality sleep through the night
I am able to get better quality of sleep after using these programs for about a week, so I thought I'd share this titbit with you all.
There are a number of such software or apps (depending on the platform), but I'm using f.lux[^] (windows) and twilight[^] (android).
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
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I've been using f.lux for years and it really helps.
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I use it on dual monitors at work and it has helped me reduce heads for staring at the monitors too long
Every day, thousands of innocent plants are killed by vegetarians.
Help end the violence EAT BACON
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Another thing to do, which is probably simpler, is change your "Window" colour value to a dull light green or grey (e.g. mine's set at RGB 196,227,214), because it's the white "paper" background that does most of the damage.
That way, you don't have to change anything if you're doing graphical work (and you can save it in a Windows "theme" that is really easy to copy from machine to machine).
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Good thought, but there are a number of things that are beyond window colour. Applications are free to choose colour of their own windows, and there are videos, websites, full screen games, etc. that can all not be controlled by adjusting the window colour.
Instead, an application controlling the entire display seems more intuitive to me. Another advantage of using an application for this is that the colours are dynamic (it becomes normal during the day, and much of the blue is cut out progressively and slowly towards the evening).
Also, you can temporarily disable the application for a specific amount of time if you'd like to do colour sensitive work.
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
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Mark_Wallace wrote: because it's the white "paper" background that does most of the damage.
Blue[^] may be worse.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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Sure, blue is the colour of "glare", which is why driving/skiing glasses are yellow -- but blue is strongest in white (255), and a lot milder in most of the actual blues on the screen.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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is this an ad for flux ?
Caveat Emptor.
"Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
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abmv wrote: is this an ad for flux ?
Yes, but the offer is only open to customers who have already purchased our exclusive flux capacitors. Without one, all the flux will simply dissipate, filling the carpet below with static electricity. This, of course, can be very hazardous to small animals and elderly relatives who rely on pacemakers, especially if they're inclined to shuffle across open spaces wearing bunny slippers.
Will Rogers never met me.
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In that case, any tool in the "free tools" category should be considered an ad.
Do you think they should?
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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Ah, but if links to tools are not ads if the tools are free, then links like "Plz vist my webpage its' reely gr8!!!" are also OK, because visiting pages is free.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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They would be free, but far from OK 
The biggest differences would be the originator, his intent and the relevancy; there's a difference between recommending an application, or promoting it actively. Relevancy means that I am not interested in any random FB-page but might be interested in a utility that helps me during work.
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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Eddy Vluggen wrote: there's a difference between recommending an application, or promoting it actively
Bingo. It's worth taking the time to think on that.
But I was hoping for a bit of crescendo (i.e. If inks like "Plz vist my webpage its' reely gr8!!!" are also OK, then...) 
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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..then, ehr, linking to a tweet that links to a facebook-post that says "plz vist my webpage" must be OK too?
Crescendo was louder music, so it should be a more extreme form of the first proposition, right?
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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Perfick!
But if begging for information is OK, then begging for money must be, too!
Bring it on, Nigeria!
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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no
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
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I used the twilight app on my android phone for about 2-3 weeks. Instead of getting a better sleep my eyes started becoming sore. I usually used it with screen dimming(after switching off the lights at night).
Any suggestions on how to make a better use of the app? Cz I've read way too many good reviews for the app.
.:>GSN<:.
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I guess that your eyes were feeling sore because you were probably getting tired (an indication that you should probably go to sleep). This won't happen if you were using the full spectrum, as your brain thinks it's day time, and your body clock wouldn't want you to sleep.
I was in fact in a similar situation when I wanted to "try" it on one of my computers. That one screen was reddish, and everything else was 'normal'. I didn't understand what the fuss was about, and uninstalled it later.
I later understood that if I were to try this, I've to have it on ALL my devices (including phones and tablets). I did that, and the results started showing in about a week. I started feeling sleepy while reading stuff on my laptop, and I can't remember the last time I felt like that.
Note that you can't watch TV either, because the spectral output isn't controlled. There's got to be a good reason behind all those reviews. Good luck to you.
TLDR: Use it on all your devices, and refrain from watching TV in the night, and it will hopefully help you. Try the whole thing for at least a week or two.
"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.
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Have done it now. Applied to my laptop and my mobile. Let's see how it fares. I have been asleep while browsing my laptop even without this app though :P
Hope your advice helps! Thanks 
.:>GSN<:.
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Did Philae kiss mama Rosetta good-bye
as he left home to fly in space below,
to a destiny on Churyumov-Gerasimenko
moving in orbit round the sun near-by?
Did Philae ever know the comet's glow
is only sunlight on a icy tail's flow,
or that he was the first comet lander
sent to be a hero for science grander?
Was Philae afraid the harpoon he bore
might shatter on the barren rock-core,
and the comet's weak gravity not hold,
and so lost-in-space's tragedy unfold?
And if Churyumov-Gerasimenko's hungry,
and Philae a bonne collation à manger?
« I am putting myself to the fullest possible use which is all, I think, that any conscious entity can ever hope to do » HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) in "2001, A Space Odyssey"
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What's impressive about that is, you managed to write each line the same length. I've not seen that style of poetry before.
Marc
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Philae the comet lander
Through space it did meander
It wanted to go
To Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Just to have a gander
PooperPig - Coming Soon
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Here is a title idea
To Rosetta, Going to Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Inspired by:
To Lucasta, Going to The Wars by Richard Lovelace
Make it simple, as simple as possible, but not simpler.
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Chubby Hamsters in Slow Motion[^]
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein
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