A sleep expert argues that manufacturers should soon develop phones, tablets and e-readers with automatic “bedtime mode” to stop the devices from causing sleep disruption. The idea comes from the finding of a recent study showing that using such devices at night disrupts sleep and keeps people awake for an extra hour every night.

Paul Gringras, an expert in children's sleep from Evelina Children's Hospital in London, suggests that new devices should soon be developed with a filter regulating the light from screens. A study, which Gringras was involved, has found that the wavelengths of light from modern devices can disrupt the body to produce melatonin, a chemical essential for sleep.

Gringras said that people today are using new phones that emit too much of light, and manufacturers should be "responsible" to consider the impact of this light to people. In fact, there is currently a growing number of phones that can disrupt sleep patterns of users, he added.

In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, Gringras measured the light from new devices and discovered majority were designed with bigger, brighter and bluer lights. These wavelengths of light are considered to greatly affect sleep.

"That is great for use in the day, but awful for use at night,” he told the BBC. “There is converging data to say if you are in front of one of these devices at night-time it could prevent you falling asleep by an extra hour."

Gringras suggests that manufacturers should consider the findings to design phones that can regulate the amount of the sleep-affecting light. The new bedtime mode would automatically filter blue lights.

The study indicates that "ideally future software design could be better optimized when night-time use is anticipated.” Automatic bedtime mode would easily shift blue and green light emissions to yellow and red as well as reduce backlight or light intensity, it added.

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