Why using red lights before bed can improve your rest

To use red lights outfits before sleeping can promote the environment for sleep and reduce interference from blue or white light. However, it is not a “miracle solution.”

Most experts agree that This practice also requires good sleep hygiene.which includes regular schedules, a dark environment, avoiding stimulants, and managing stress. But let’s see what science says:

Why red lights before bed can improve your rest

Studies on how light affects the human biological clock indicate that shorter wavelengths, specifically between about 446 and 477 nm, more aggressively suppress the sleep hormone melatonin.

According to research from Thomas Jefferson Universitythis occurs because a type of retinal cells called ipRGCs, which contain the photopigment melanopsin, respond intensely to these lengths.

However, red light is much less effective in the circadian systemwhich means that its nocturnal exposure produces less suppression of melatonin, rescues the Sleep Foundation.

In practice, this means that Using dim red lighting before bed can help keep melatonin levels higherfavoring the preparation of the body to rest.

A trial with Chinese female athletes found that 20 minutes of red light irradiation daily, for 14 days, improved sleep quality according to the PSQI indexin addition to modestly raising serum melatonin.

Likewise, another study with people with insomnia compared red light versus white light and found that red light can shorten the time to fall asleepalthough some sleep parameters were altered.

Although the results are promising, evidence is still limited and the studies present a lot of variability. In summary, Red light does not automatically guarantee good sleep, but it is an alternative with scientific support to promote restas long as it is applied with good sleep hygiene.

How to apply red light at home to improve sleep

• Three hours before bed: Experts recommend changing light bulbs with lamps with very dim red or amber light.
• It is also valid in the bedroom, but Make sure it is in almost complete darkness. If you need light to move, use a red or amber “night light”, facing the ground and with minimal intensity.
• Avoid bright screens: These emit blue light, which strongly suppresses melatonin. That’s why using the phone right before going to sleep harms your rest.
• Expose yourself to natural light as soon as possible when you wake up It helps synchronize your biological clock and promotes the process of getting a good night’s sleep.