Using tablet computers like Apple's iPad and Samsung's Galaxy Note just before bed can lead to a poor night's sleep, according to research. More and more people are taking their tablets to bed with them to surf the web, check Facebook or email before switching off the light. But researchers are warning that the blueish light their screens emit can stop users getting a good night's sleep. That is because this type of light mimics daylight, convincing the brain that it is still daytime.

Blue light suppresses production of a brain chemical called melatonin, which helps us fall sleep. This is because our brains have evolved to be wakeful during daylight hours. By contrast, light which is more orange or red in tone does not suppress melatonin production, perhaps because our brains recognize it as a cue that the day is ending. Neurologists have known for years that staring at screens late in the evening can disrupt sleep - be they television screens, computer screens or mobile phone screens. However, because mobiles and tablets are by nature portable - not to say addictive - more people are taking them into the bedroom. Users also tend to hold them much closer to their eyes than a computer or television screen.

Researchers at the Lighting Research Centre, at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, are warning that looking at tablet displays for more than two hours "leads to a suppression of our natural melatonin levels as the devices emit optical radiation at short wavelengths" - in other words, they emit bluer light.

很多人喜歡睡前躺在床上拿iPad或手機上網、看電影或者玩游戲。最近有研究顯示，這種行為會影響睡眠質量。研究人員指出，iPad等設備的屏幕會發出藍色的光，這種光與陽光類似，會抑制大腦分泌褪黑素，從而使其處于清醒狀態，難以入睡。而長期睡眠不規律則可能增加肥胖和患乳腺癌的風險。對此，研究人員建議，睡前使用移動電子設備時可盡量將屏幕亮度調暗，并控制使用時間。另外，研究人員還建議平板電腦制造商調整自發光設備的頻譜功率分布以減少其對用戶睡眠狀況的影響。