Most of our app recs are focused around the iOS devices, but occasionally we’ll find something on the Mac OS side of things that is worth passing along. One of these is a free little piece of software called f.lux, which you can find here.

There have been studies that say the blue light emitted by digital screens is bad for our sleep & may be keeping us up later (the makers of f.lux helpfully collected some links here). And we know how blinding it can be to look at a bright screen in a dim room. So the goal of f.lux is to adjust the screen tinting of your computer to match the time of day and room you’re in. I actually use the candlelight setting which clicks in at sunset — I don’t even notice the change now, although I’ve had coworkers give my computer alarmed looks in the winter when the screen tints orange. 

f.lux starts up along with your computer and is controlled by a menulet. There’s a preferences pane that allows you fine control of your day time and night time lighting and how transitions work.

Has it had a huge effect on my sleep? Probably not, since I try to limit my screen time towards bedtime anyway. But I can say that my eyes feel less strained after a day of computer work and a night of computer surfing.