Many devices and appliances, from surge protectors and TVs to headphones and laptops, have bright lights that turn on when plugged in and often can’t be turned off without unplugging the device. These lights can be a nuisance in the bedroom.
“Exposure to light at night is a completely unnatural and alien experience,” said Steven Lockley, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine, in Paul Bogard’s 2013 book, “The End of Night,” which explores the effects of artificial light on society and health.
Not only are there more of these lights today, but many are also brighter than they used to be. Some manufacturers argue that indicator lights serve practical purposes. However, it is clear that at bedtime, people looking for sleep find these difficult-to-ignore lights disruptive to the comforting darkness needed for rest.
The Solutions We Come Up With
For Kyle Moschen, a 27-year-old public relations professional in Seattle, the studio apartment he shared with his boyfriend almost resembled a starry night sky, except it was not beautiful like Vincent van Gogh’s painting; it was irritating.
Bright lights from various sources — the oven, an automatic fan, the fire alarm, an air purifier, and a wireless phone charger — made it hard for Moschen to sleep.
His solution? Tape over the lights.
“I was looking around and kept noticing more and more lights. I felt so confused, like why are there so many?” Moschen told CNN. “I ended up putting black strips of electrical tape on every little light.”
Amazon and other retailers offer various sizes and shapes of blackout or light-dimming stickers and sheets.
Jonathan King, a finance professional in New York, had a different solution.
“I plug in my Logitech headphones, and there’s a little blue light. I have a hard time sleeping with any light on, so I either wear a face mask or put a shirt over the headphones,” King told CNN in an email.
The Practical and Aesthetic Purposes of Indicator Lights
Simply put, an indicator light reflects the status of a device, varying from product to product. For example, an indicator light could show that a device is charging or functioning correctly. For Bluetooth devices, they are necessary when pairing with a phone.
These bright indicators are often LED lights, an energy-efficient option for manufacturing. LED lights have a long lifespan and generate minimal heat, important qualities for everyday technology.
Blue LED light, a common indicator color but particularly disruptive to sleep, was such an industry breakthrough that the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to physicists Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura for creating it.
Blue LED was introduced for commercial use in the 1990s. Amid a growing tech industry, blue LED offered an innovative color that gave consumer electronics a cutting-edge appearance.
“Sometimes those lights are there for aesthetic appeal, contributing to the gadget’s design, appeal, and user experience,” David Loftus, president and CEO of the Electronic Components Industry Association, told CNN.
Still, many manufacturers do without them. “Some don’t have it because it is a very inexpensive device and the manufacturer has chosen not to spend a few pennies on an LED status light. Or, the devices are just really simple and don’t need it,” Loftus said.
Manny Linhares Jr., senior director of product management at Legrand, a French electrical equipment manufacturer, said the indicator lights of Legrand’s products are essential for functional, aesthetic, and safety reasons.
“Adding an LED light does cost something, so to add one just to add one seems wasteful. In our case, it’s used purposely to enhance the user experience,” he said.
Linhares Jr. also mentioned that the lights can be helpful as night lights.
“We aim for subtle lights to help customers know where these devices are when the lights are off in spaces where the occupant isn’t familiar with the room. In hotels, at least you have that subtle light glow,” he said.