Reducing the circadian input from self-luminous devices using hardware filters and software applications

The widespread use of self-luminous devices at nighttime (cell-phones, computers, and tablets) raises some reasonable concerns regarding their effects on human physiology. Light at night is a known circadian disruptor, particularly at short visible wavelengths, and it seems advisable to have practical tools for tailoring the spectral radiance of these displays. We analyse two possible strategies to achieve this goal, using hardware filters or software applications. Overall, software applications seem to offer, at the present time, the best trade-offs for controlling the light spectra emitted by existing devices. We submit that such tools should be included as a standard feature on any self-luminous device and that their default settings should be established according to the best available knowledge on the circadian effects of light.