Staring at a bright, blue-tinted computer monitor late at night can severely disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythm. The blue light emitted by modern displays tricks your brain into thinking it is still daytime, suppressing melatonin production and making it incredibly difficult to fall asleep. To combat this, Microsoft built a feature directly into Windows 11 called Night Light, which shifts your screen to warmer, amber tones in the evening.
What Does Night Light Do?
Night Light acts as a digital filter. When activated, the brilliant whites and stark blues on your screen are replaced with softer yellows and oranges. Initially, the screen will look very strange, as if a sepia filter has been applied. However, within five minutes, your eyes will adjust, and the warmer tones will feel significantly less harsh in a dark room.
How to Manually Toggle Night Light
If you only want to use the feature occasionally, you can toggle it on and off from the Quick Settings menu.
- Click the cluster of icons (Wi-Fi, Speaker, Battery) on the far right side of your Taskbar to open the Quick Settings panel.
- Look for the button labeled Night light (it has an icon of a crescent moon).
- Click it once to turn it on, and again to turn it off.
How to Set an Automatic Schedule
The best way to use Night Light is to forget it exists by automating it to turn on as the sun goes down.
- Click the Start button and open the Settings app (the gear icon).
- In the left sidebar, click System, then click Display in the main window.
- Look for the Night light toggle switch, but instead of clicking the switch, click anywhere on the text itself to open the advanced settings.
- Click the toggle switch to enable Schedule night light.
You now have two options for your schedule:
- Sunset to sunrise: This is the recommended setting. Windows will use your location to determine exactly when the sun sets in your city and automatically fade the amber tint in as it gets dark outside. It will then fade it out the next morning.
- Set hours: If you work a night shift or prefer strict control, you can choose the exact minute the feature activates (e.g., exactly at 9:00 PM every night).
Adjusting the Strength
On that same settings page, you will see a slider labeled Strength. If the default amber tint makes it too difficult to read color-coded spreadsheets, drag the slider to the left to reduce the intensity. If you are extremely sensitive to light and want a deep orange hue, drag it to the right. Find a balance that feels comfortable for your eyes.