Can Light Therapy Help You Sleep?

Did you know exposing yourself to light can actually help you sleep? It may seem counterintuitive at first, but light can have a huge impact on whether or not you have a well-rested night.

Using light to aid your slumber is often referred to as light therapy. If you’re struggling to get some shuteye, this therapy can help you regain the snooze you so desperately need.

This guide will break down everything you need to know about light therapy for sleep. Let’s dive into what it is, how it works, and what you can expect.

Using tools like lightboxes to mimic daylight can help regulate your hormones and get you back on track to a restful night. This can ease the sleep-disrupting symptoms of different medical conditions such as:

• Insomnia
• Jet lag
• SAD
• Depression and bipolar disorder
• Alzheimer’s and dementia

It has also been found effective in research for helping shift workers who need to adjust their body clock to be alert at night.

If you can’t incorporate light therapy into your routine, simply getting outdoors into natural light can work too. Here’s a quote from a study titled Light as Therapy for Sleep Disorders and Depression in Older Adults:

In warm climates, half an hour of outdoor daylight exposure each morning would constitute an inexpensive, convenient first-line treatment. When outdoor exposure is impractical, one of the available modalities for indoor light therapy can be prescribed.

Before you go ahead and invest in a lightbox for sleep, it’s important to first speak with your doctor about any sleep issues you’re having. They’ll give you more options and tailor your treatment to your specific problem and situation.

However, if you’ve been told your issue is circadian-related and advised to get light glasses from your GP, then it’s good to understand what you should look for.

• The first thing to look for is the type of light the box emits. The type of light that is most effective for promoting sleep is typically a cool-white or blue-enriched white light with a high colour temperature (around 6,500 Kelvin). This type of light is most similar to natural daylight and is most effective at suppressing the production of the hormone melatonin, which makes you feel sleepy. It is especially important to be exposed to this type of light in the morning or early afternoon to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm and help promote good sleep at night.
• Make sure to look for a lightbox that filters UV light and has a light intensity of 2000 to 10000 lux.
• Additionally, make sure the box you choose is not designed for tanning or skin care. The light needed for mood and sleep is different and these are more likely to harm you than help you if you use it in this way.

Lightboxes come in a range of sizes, so it’s important to know where you’re going to perform the therapy. Some are more compact than others, so you’ll want one that suits your own needs. However, if you feel a box is too bulky, opting for light therapy glasses can also have similar effects.

We know that light therapy might not be practical if you don’t have access to a lightbox when you need it. Don’t worry, there are other changes you can make to your routine that can support better sleep.

These include:

• Removing blue light-emitting objects from your room, especially during your bedtime routine.
• Have a good sleep schedule where you have a set time when you wake up and go to bed.
• Resist any urge to nap as this can disrupt your schedule.
• Limit caffeine intake, especially in the evening.
• Make sure your bed is cool, dark and quiet
• Avoid alcohol and nicotine before bed.

Get more advice with our top tips for a better night’s sleep.