Does a Kindle Oasis Have Blue Light? (And How to Turn It Off)

Reading kindle on the couchReading kindle on the couch

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Most electronic devices, from laptops to cell phones, emit blue light. However, many studies have shown that exposure to blue light can be harmful to your eyes. You love sitting in bed at night reading your favorite e-book, but you may be wondering: is that blue light emission the reason for headaches or trouble sleeping at night?

Similar to other LED electronic devices, the Kindle Oasis does emit blue light. Fortunately, however, there is a way to reduce its effects. This e-reader has a warmth setting that allows you to switch to warmer tones of light to reduce the potential effects of blue light.

Reducing blue light, especially when using your electronics at night, is very useful in avoiding eye damage. Keep reading to learn more about blue light and how to reduce its effects on your Kindle Oasis.

Does the Kindle Oasis Have a Blue Light Filter?

Amazon has suggested that a blue light filter for the Kindle Oasis is unnecessary because the Kindle is not backlit from a single source. Instead, it spreads light across the entire page to protect your eyes. This way, the blue light exposure is not as direct.

The Kindle Oasis uses a front light instead of a backlight. This means that, instead of blue light shining directly into your eyes, it shines across the entire surface of the reader. This makes the light much less intrusive to your eyes.

What the Oasis does do for blue light filtering is allow light from the screen to shift from white to amber, making it easier to read at night when there is less ambient light. There is also an adaptive front light that automatically changes the screen’s color based on the current lighting conditions. You can even set a schedule for the color to change at a specific time of day.

How to Lower Blue Light Emission on the Kindle Oasis

Lowering the blue light emissions on your Kindle Oasis is easy! Follow the steps below to do so:

  1. While operating your Kindle Oasis, tap the top of the screen.
  2. Next, tap the slider to look at your options.
  3. Slide the warmth setting all the way to the right to reduce blue light as much as possible.

Once you are happy with your settings, you can go back to the main screen and enjoy reading without the intrusion of blue light. This setting is unique to the Kindle Oasis, so it will not be available on other device versions. The Kindle Oasis also offers a scheduling setting, so your device will automatically increase or reduce blue light emission depending on the time of day.

The Impact of Blue Light on the Eyes

Your eyes are exposed to a lot of blue light on a daily basis. Even the sun emits a bit of blue light. No long-term health effects have been adequately studied regarding the effect of blue light from electronics and LEDs, but excessive blue light can cause headaches through eye strain and sleeplessness if you are exposed to it for a lengthy amount of time before going to bed.

Reducing blue light, especially when using your electronics at night, is a very useful tool in avoiding eye damage. The Kindle Oasis is the first Kindle to have not only brightness controls, but also a setting specifically to control blue light emission. This is incredibly helpful, because many scientific studies have shown that exposure to blue light from electronic devices can be harmful to your eyes.

Effects of Digital Eye Strain Due to Blue Light

A study from Optometry Australia has found that people who use electronic devices for prolonged periods of time often blink less often, depriving their eyes of vital moisture. 

Problems that have been linked to blue light exposure include:

  • Depression
  • Eating issues
  • Heart disease
  • Elevated risk of cancer
  • Elevated risk of Diabetes

This list is not all-inclusive, but it highlights why reducing blue light from electronic devices is important. Decreasing your blue light intake can help a variety of ailments, but it is not a fix-all remedy. If you reduce blue light intake and symptoms persist, contact your doctor.

Effects of Sleeplessness Due to Blue Light

Health professionals tend to agree on the effects that blue light has on an individual’s sleep patterns. When your eyes sense the warmer light associated with sunset or nighttime, your body naturally releases melatonin to induce sleep.

A PNAS study found that exposure to excessive blue light leads to lower melatonin production. The negative effects of blue light mostly come when using it at night. This is because blue light, especially from the sun, keeps us alert and tells our bodies to stay awake.

Conclusion

There are proven short-term side effects of prolonged blue light exposure. Several models of e-readers, including the Kindle Oasis, have a way to reduce blue light emission. This is especially useful at night when its effects are most detrimental. Using the settings menu on your Kindle Oasis will allow you to reduce the effects of blue light and enjoy your e-reader at any time of the day.

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