Could the type of display you’re looking at affect your sleep habits? A recent study by researchers at Kookmin University in Seoul reveals that this may be the case. The clinical study, which was created in partnership with LG, studied the effects of LCD TVs and OLED TVs on the melatonin production rate of 40 adult men and women. Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the body that helps induce sleep, but is known to be disrupted by blue light emitted from displays.
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The study’s findings showed that melatonin production by those watching LCD displays fell by 2.7% over the course of two hours, whereas production actually grew 8.1% in those viewing OLED TVs. Researchers point out that LCD panels’ reliance on strong backlighting means they emit 70-80% blue light, as opposed to OLED panels’ 36% blue light emission.
“In addition to minimizing the negative impact on melatonin secretion during viewing time, OLED TVs have been shown to be effective in maintaining viewers’ healthy sleep patterns through greater activation of their parasympathetic nerves, which are responsible for feelings of comfort,” said Prof. Kim Chang-wook, who led the research team.
