How to activate the blue light filter in Windows and sleep better

We have all read how harmful continuous exposure to blue light from a monitor can be, causing us to have sleep problems and even, as has been mentioned in some studies, even skin problems.

Faced with these problems generated by blue light, Windows decided to take action and in Windows 10 a filter was added that mitigated this type of incidence and helped users take care of their health, especially eye health.

This same treatment has currently followed the new version of the Redmond operating system, since Windows 11 also has this power of care over the blue light so that it activates when we want.

It is very simple to have this option activated and configured, so that the operating system, be it Windows 10 or 11, takes care of our eyes, you just have to follow a few simple steps.

Index of contents:

What is blue light?

Before getting into the matter, it is more than convenient that we know what we are talking about with the concept of blue light.

Visible light is made up of a large number of small portions of colored lights and, of course, blue is among them. As is also to be expected, each color has a different wavelength in the colors that make up its visible spectrum.

The blue light it is a natural componentrequired of light (approximately 25% of white light) and its wavelength It is between 380nm and 475nm approximately.. The problem is when he abuses her.

This type of light is specifically a visible spectrum that is closer to ultraviolet light, and there are two main artificial sources of emission, such as:

• Led lights: It is found in our mobile and most electronic devices such as televisions or monitors. They are the ones that do the most damage to the eye, because they are used at short distances and for a long time.
• Fluorescent tubes: they are those that are usually placed in offices, for example, and that can also be harmful due to the exposure to blue light that they cause us.

Activate the filter in Windows 10

Now that we know what blue light is and where it is usually most active, we can see how Windows 10 can help us so that it does not affect our eyes so much.

As you will be able to see, they are very easy steps, surely much simpler than you could imagine at first.

• We must click on Windows startup and then go to Setting.
• Once inside we will Screenthen click on night light settings within the Color section.

• Now we click the button Activate to immediately turn on blue light filtering. We will can move intensity control to increase or decrease the amount of blue light the operating system will remove. In this way we will be able to choose which will be the visualization with the filter with which we feel more comfortable.
• We can also press the button Schedule night light to restrict blue light filtering to specific times. We can customize the time period in which the blue light filter is activated and used.
• Windows can also be based to program this filter on the actual sunset periods of our location. For that we only have to activate the location services (if we don’t already have it, something that is normal). If our system has that setting turned off, an automatic access to location setting will appear automatically.

Activate in Windows 11

In Windows 11 we also have this same power, but placed in another place, which does not mean that it is difficult to reach it.

We just have to follow these steps:

• Click on the Start Menu and then click on Setting.
• We came in System to then click on Screen.
• In this window we must search and press Night light.
• Since we are already inside Night Light, we can activate it directly by clicking on activate now.

• We can establish a time range in which we want this option to be activated if we click on the button where it says disabled and when we press it it will put Activated from Schedule night light.
• At that moment we will have two options: the first will be to set the night light schedule from dusk to dawn, something that Windows 11 will take care of automatically. The second is the opportunity put us when it is activated and when it is deactivatedthat is, mark what time we want this system to work.
• We also have a slider button that puts Intensity, where we can manage how strong or weak we want the night light system to be when we have it active.
• When everything is clear, all you have to do is click on Activate Now to make it work at that very moment or wait for the time we have set for it to start operating.

Another option we have

The filtering of Windows 10 and 11 is quite well achieved and we can use it, program it and manage it in a very simple and correct way.

But it may be that you need something a little more complete and where you can have more control over the final result.

Well, you can opt for a third-party tool, such as f-lux.

This is a totally free program that allows us a very reliable blue light filtering system that has many variables, very interesting for different needs between daytime and nighttime.

As you have seen in Windows, we only have two basic options in the system, that is, on or off. Well then, f.lux can have go varying the intensity of blue light during the day and then gradually go into a much deeper block.

The program can do it with a previous pattern that we have marked or automatically, according to our location (since it is able to know when it dawns and darkens) and the light that exists in the room of our house where we have the device. .

From now on you already know several options, depending on which Windows you have, to ensure that the blue light does not affect you so much, either with the filter of the operating system itself or by using a third-party tool, which in the case of the one we have shown, is more complete and functional.