What colour light helps you sleep?

A dark room is ideal when you're trying to drift off. But did you know the types of light you're exposed to before closing your eyes can affect the quality of your sleep? We've covered how to master sleep hygiene recently. In this blog, we'll share all you need to know about how light affects it, including what to avoid and what to do for a better night's rest.

How does light affect sleep?

Light plays an important role in setting and maintaining our circadian rhythm. This is essentially the 24-hour biological clock that regulates things like your temperature, hormones and, crucially, sleep and wake cycles.

When natural light fades at sunset, our brains start to produce melatonin – the hormone that starts to make us feel tired and drowsy. Similarly, when we're exposed to natural light in the morning after waking up, melatonin production stops and we feel more awake. Sounds simple enough, right?

Issues arise when this natural balance and schedule is disrupted. Artificial light sources and digital screens are largely to blame for this. Exposure to excessive amounts of bright and cool-toned light before bed can throw your circadian rhythm completely. Your brain is essentially being tricked into thinking it's still daytime, not bedtime.

Because of this, you may find it harder to get to sleep and have poorer quality sleep once you do. This can have knock-on effects on your mood, mental health and physical health.

Why is light colour important?

Different types of light can have a bigger impact on your sleep than others. The big one to watch out for is blue light, which can significantly disrupt melatonin production. Exposure to this makes your brain think it still needs to be awake, even when it doesn't.

The bad news is that it's everywhere. Most people are guilty of using their phones, laptops and TVs – all of which can emit blue light – at night or just before bed. Even energy-efficient LED lighting around your home can emit high levels of blue light. Any sort of bright light or cool-toned colour emitted after dark may be damaging your sleep.

Fortunately, there are other colours that don't have such a big impact.

What colour light is best for sleep?

Warmer colours that aren't too bright are generally better if you want to fall asleep faster. Think gentle reds, yellows and oranges. These are less likely to mess with your circadian rhythm, preparing your brain and body for sleep with the natural release of melatonin.

This doesn't mean you have to illuminate your room with red to drift off. Turn off any bright overhead lights an hour or two before bed and use lower table or bedside lamps with a gentle red, orange or yellow bulb. Turning off all the lights is still better when you're actually trying to fall asleep.

Tops light exposure tips to promote better sleep

We've discussed the best light colour for sleep but there are other things you can do to stop light keeping you awake at night. Try these:

·       Dim the lights about an hour before bedtime: The earlier you stop exposing your brain to bright, overhead lights, the better. This should help you feel sleepier when you get into bed.

·       Avoid looking at screens about two hours before bed: Start to wind down by avoiding these a couple of hours before bed. You might even want to lock phones away for the night in your dressing table to avoid any disruptions while you sleep.

·       Use night mode on your devices: If you want to use your devices before bed, make sure you have some sort of 'night mode' activated. This should limit the amount of blue light being released.

·       Minimise light during sleep: Invest in some quality blackout curtains or blinds to limit the natural or artificial light coming in from outside. Make sure any electronic devices are turned off or silenced to avoid any unnecessary light sources.

·       Get plenty of natural light during the day: The effectiveness of your circadian rhythm also relies on you getting sufficient amounts of sunlight while it's available. Getting more should also boost your mood and feeling of alertness during the day.

Sleep tight in a bedroom designed by Hammonds

Hopefully, we've given you some food for thought when it comes to your sleeping habits. Getting into good routines is part of the solution for better sleep but it also helps to have somewhere you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Here at Hammonds, we design living spaces that work for you. If our fitted furniture solutions could make you feel more at ease in your bedroom, book a free design visit with one of our experts today.