I’ve not been sleeping all that well lately. And let’s be honest, this probably has something to do with being in the middle of a term at Oxford University, with a lot on my mind and far too much to see to.

However.

I’ve noticed recently that my room contains a surprising number of light sources, which I suspect can’t be helping me get to sleep. Reading from left to right, we have:

  • Light leaking under the door from the staircase (where the lights are apparently permanently on)
  • Blue power LED flashing on my laptop
  • Green power/charging LED on my other laptop
  • Huge red light on the multiplug under my desk
  • Flashing lights on my hub

I’ve therefore come up with a cunning plan:

  • Block the base of the door with an old pillow
  • Prop a book over the laptop light
  • Put the other laptop in a drawer
  • Tie an old sock round the multiplug
  • Shove the hub into a cardboard box with holes for the wires

Whether or not this helps remains to be seen. But here’s a plea to manufacturers: please think twice about the brightness and location of your LEDs, especially if there’s a chance someone will be trying to sleep in the same room as the device they’re on.