Perfect Dark - 3/22/19

While I was searching for tips to develop the perfect morning routine, I was surprised to learn that it actually begins the night before. It didn’t even cross my mind to think that far back. I suppose, just like how summer abs are made in the winter, a perfect morning actually begins with the perfect night.

In my research, I came across Tim Ferris’ blog and “The 4-Hour Body”, where I learned about humidity, temperature, ice baths, and pre-bed snacking to optimize one’s sleep quality.

To reach back even further, I learned that the perfect restful night involves an often forgotten step.

Winding down.

I’m not talking just talking about relaxing in front of old episodes of The Office, but biologically allowing your body to produce melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate our sleep cycles.

Light from modern displays, or “blue light,” delays the release of this melatonin. The combination of easily accessible mobile phone displays and the 24/7 beckoning call of social media has made being hypnotized from restful sleep as easy as reaching into your pocket (or nightstand). That being said, sometimes a complete shutdown may not be possible. We use our screens to communicate, study, and listen to music. Most of us look at our phone screens even while setting the alarm.

But there is hope.

Since Virgin Atlantic started to put colored light in their airplanes as a means to combat jet lag and maintain passengers’ circadian rhythms, “night modes” (or dark modes) have been finally trickling into our everyday visual world. Apple has “Night Shift.” Windows 10 has “Night Light.” I am currently using the “Twilight” app on my mobile phone, but there are a hundred other options. For my browser, I use a Chrome extension simply called “Dark Mode.” Google finally released a built-in Dark Mode on it’s Chrome 73 update mid-March followed with news of a dark mode option on Google Keep as recent as yesterday.

While deploying all of these is not a substitute for a complete screen shutdown, you will notice the difference in both eye strain and relaxation. Increased device battery life is a major added bonus!

So go forth and seek the darkness in everything your vision touches. Dark mode is organic food for your eyes, but just like with food, it is our responsibility to see if the option exists and even request it if it doesn’t.

Try it tonight.

Go dark.

Pro Tip: If you want to take it a step further, change the light bulbs in your house to LED lights that can change color temperature (via remote control or app). They aren’t cheap, but you can limit this upgrade to areas you frequent before bed. Add music to make your home feel like a relaxing lounge or a photography darkroom (without the smell)!

What are some of your favorite apps and hacks for winding down?

Fuck yeah. It’s Friday!

Perfect Dark by Rare (2000)