Night Shift on iPad has been updated for iOS10.

I don’t know about you but I don’t seem to be able to get enough sleep these days between work and a busy family life with an active toddler. I’ve also been spending my time working on a special project that is near completion (which I’ll be revealing to my readers in the near future).

So any help I can get to ensure a better night’s sleep is welcome…

This leads me to share about a new feature that was recently released on iOS that can potentially help you with your sleep.

You have probably heard it before. The exposure to bright blue light from tablets, phones, and computer screens in the evening, and especially before going to bed, may interfere with your circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep at night.

What is a circadian rhythm?
Summarizing from Wikipedia, a circadian rhythm is any biological process that displays a built-in oscillation of about 24 hours. The circadian rhythm is adjusted to the local environment by external cues which include light and temperature.

Night Shift on iPad

Night Shift on iPad is included starting with iOS 9.3 and iOS 10. This functionality uses your iPad’s clock and geographical location to determine when it is sunset where you are and then it automatically shifts the colors on your screen to the warmer end of the spectrum.

How to Activate Night Shift on iPad

To activate night shift on iPad, you can open Control Center and tap on the Night Shift icon.

Once activated you will notice how the screen colors change on your iPad screen.

Tap on the same icon to de-activate.

Scheduling Night Shift

You can schedule this feature to automatically start at night and de-activate in the morning. To do so, tap on

Settings > Display & Brightness

Then tap on Night Shift:

Tap on the Scheduled button to enable:

And using the slider configure the color spectrum (colder / warmer).

Tapping on From/To you can select the time Night Shift starts and ends.

Example:
From: 10 pm
To: 7 am

Or you can configure the functionality to be active from sunset to sunrise in your location.

Which devices can support Night Shift?

Not all iPad models support the Night Shift feature. If you own the original iPad mini, an iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad 4 you will not be able to use it. Newer models such as iPad Air, iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro support Night Shift.

Better sleep?

I have been using my iPad with Night Shift enabled only for the past few days. So, it is a bit early to say whether it is helping or not with my sleep. I read other articles online that suggest avoiding looking at computer, smartphone and tablet screens between 1 or 2 hours before going to sleep. In this age and era I know this may be difficult to achieve.

Have you tried Night Shift on your iPad? Are you avoiding looking at its screen before going to sleep?
Which strategy (if any) is working for you?

I welcome your feedback. Let me know by posting a comment below.