Improve your sleep
Light affects our sleep and as a result, our health.
Learn how to get better sleep, have more daytime energy, and less stress by tuning in to your circadian rhythm.
We’ve all heard it by now – sleep is one of our biggest health predictors, and yet so many of us are failing miserably at not just getting enough sleep, but good quality sleep. The problem? It might be what you’re reading this on right now… but don’t worry; I have solutions!
Let’s get into a bit of science first.
Sunlight has different coloured wavelengths that send signals to our body to do specific things, based on the blend of frequencies, brightness, and time of day. Before sunrise, we have infrared light, with low brightness. At sunrise, a larger blend of red light and infrared is present. At this time, there’s also a blend of blue and red, which signals to mitochondria to make pregnenolone (this can become cortisol). When the sun is 10° above the horizon, ultraviolet A comes through; and when the sun is at 30°, UVB appears (the final frequency). Then when the sun hits its highest position in the sky, frequencies start to decrease and leave in the reverse order.
At sunset, blue light disappears from our environment altogether. Sunset light is also full of red light/infrared frequencies that heal inflammation, support mitochondria, and do many other things that support our bodies.
So basically, it’s a natural sequence going from a little bit of blue light that starts to go up as the day progresses and then goes down before bed.
Light instructs our biology
Out internal “clock” lives in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), within the hypothalamus; and our circadian biology is amongst the most powerful systems for mental and physical states. The retinas of our eyes contain photoreceptors that pick up on brightness of the visible light spectrum, which then relays that information to the SCN. The SCN then takes that message of day or night and passes it on to the pineal gland. Our pineal gland is responsible for secreting melatonin, which goes into our bloodstream signalling it’s time for sleep. Melatonin is also is one of the best antioxidants and naturally occurring anti-inflammatory hormones within our body.
As the sun crosses the horizon at sunset, there is no blue light available for our brain to pick up on, but there is red and near-red light to help in melatonin production. Our eyes are constantly looking to track the time of day, picking up on input from blue light. Can you see where I’m going with this?
The average person checks their phones at night, sends a few last-minute emails before bed, and looks to see what’s happening on Instagram while breastfeeding at 2 a.m. (guilty!). This is a huge blast of blue light entering our eyes and our brains, and as a result we:
Disrupt our circadian rhythm
Make cortisol, a stress hormone (cortisol should be at its lowest at night)
Don’t produce melatonin appropriately
Have limited to no REM sleep
Have low energy levels throughout the day
Increase stress and anxiety
Increase inflammation in our bodies
Limit our healing
Compromise mitochondria function
Robs us of our electrons
Stops lymphatic drainage meant to clean our brains at night
Light instructs our biology
If every cell in our body has a circadian clock and information comes from the light we see, that makes our environment so powerful. If we are constantly flooding our systems with blue light from screens when we are not meant to view blue light, we will throw our body’s natural rhythms out of balance. We are not designed to perceive light this way.
The eye is part of the brain! Light travles through the eyes, even while they are closed during sleep, and sends signals to the brain, and in turn, to your endocrine glands, cells, and organs.
Set yourself up for success
What do you do first thing when you wake up? Grab your phone to turn off your alarm clock and then get sucked into reading emails or looking at social? Been there. Another blast of blue light when our bodies are in that tender state of just waking up is not great for us either.
So, what can you do?
Buy an analogue alarm clock so you’re not looking at your phone first thing.
Put your phone on airplane mode before the sun goes down at night, flip it face down, and don’t look at it again until you’ve got morning sunlight in your eyes.
Go outside and get that amazing morning light between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. without sunglasses (at least 8 minutes on a clear day; 10-20 mins with cloud cover; 20-30 mins if overcast)
Once it’s dark outside after sunset, dim the lights, light candles (safely) to try and mimic the natural environment.
If you must be on a screen at night, invest in blue-light blocking glasses.
You can also reset your nervous system and eye health by looking out at the horizon or the trees. Your eyes will dilate and will reset your nervous system to a parasympathetic state. Sky gazing sets our circadian rhythm, regulates our mood and metabolism.
Sunset light is also full of red light/infrared frequencies that heal inflammation, support mitochondria, and will calm your nervous system at end the day to help prepare you for a good nights’ sleep.
Another way to prepare for great sleep? Do a parasympathetic breathwork practice before bed and drift off to dreamland.
Interesting fact: since putting my phone away at night and not looking at it again until I’ve had morning light in my eyes, I’ve not only slept better, but I’ve also experienced more lucid dreams than ever before.
Articles and blogs
Light exposure during sleep impairs cardiometabolic function (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Why you should prioritize morning light (Carrie B Wellness)