Study Shows ‘Night Shift’ Feature in iOS Does Not Help Users Sleep Better

According to a new study from Brigham Young University published in Sleep Health, Apple’s Night Shift feature in iOS, that adjusts the screen’s colours to warmer hues after sunset, does not help users sleep better.

After Apple’s introduction of the feature back in 2016, Android smartphones also started adding some sort of night mode function to their devices.

However, the new study challenges the premise made by smartphone manufacturers and has found that the Night Shift functionality does not actually improve sleep.

“In the whole sample, there were no differences across the three groups,” said BYU psychology professor Chad Jensen. “In the whole sample, there were no differences across the three groups,” Jensen added.

“Night Shift is not superior to using your phone without Night Shift or even using no phone at all.”

“When you are super tired you fall asleep no matter what you did just before bed,” explained Jensen. “The sleep pressure is so high there is really no effect of what happens before bedtime.”

The study concludes that while Night Shift may make your screen darker, the feature alone will not help you fall or stay asleep.