Ever thought about why it feels sleepy when it gets dark? There is a science behind it. Our brain catches signals from the surroundings through light. It reacts according to the color of light and makes us feel active or lazy. This is the reason some light feels calm while some feels irritating. For a restful sleep, it is necessary to have the right light in your room. Let's discover the best and worst lights for sleep. Part 1: The Science Behind Light and Sleep The human brain controls the sleep cycle by receiving signals from light. Based on the intensity of light, the brain follows a sleep clock and decides whether it's time to stay active or feel relaxed. When exposed to dark and dim lights, our brain starts releasing a special hormone called melatonin, a sleep hormone. It prepares humans to feel calm and sleepy. Alternatively, in the sunlight/daytime, our brain finds the light intense and stops producing melatonin, which keeps our body active. This is the reason why we feel fresh in the morning and lethargic at night. As long as our body sticks to this natural cycle, we stay healthy. Any disturbance in this rhythm can lead to serious and prolonged issues. To avoid interference in the sleep cycle, it is crucial to understand the importance of the correct light at the correct time. Part 2: What Color Light is Best for Sleep? ✅ Red Red light is recommended by physicians. It is considered the best light at night due to its soft and warm tone. The mild hues soothe eyes and trigger the brain’s melatonin production. It keeps the surroundings cozy and safe, helping you fall asleep faster. Red light is not only good for initial sleep at bedtime, but it also helps to return to sleep easily when you wake up in the middle of the night. Thus, it keeps the rest peaceful and maintains sleep quality throughout the night. ✅ Amber/Orange Amber/orange is the same color that appears in the sky during sunset. If you use an amber/orange light in your room, it will start creating a warm and calming atmosphere. Not very dim and not very intense, a perfect amber tone feels very gentle on the eyes and does not make them dry and tired at night. Along with all benefits, it is safe for babies and adults. So anyone can confidently choose this option to get sunset-like vibes in bedrooms, halls, and lounges. ✅ Dim Yellow The sunset or candlelight, like a dim yellow light, gives signals to your brain to rest slowly at night. It creates a perfect cozy environment for your brain to feel relaxed after a hectic, busy, and noisy day. Not only for sleep, it can also be used for other activities like reading and writing in a calm zone, as it gives enough visibility. It feels like natural or candlelight and is comforting and safe for all age groups. Just a dim yellow light could help your family sleep calmly and wake up fresh. ✅ Pink Pink light in the surroundings not only looks beautiful, but it also keeps humans focused quietly. It creates a gentle and meditative mood in the room and uplifts the mood instantly. Its soft glow helps to avoid overthinking and reduce stress. If your kids are afraid of the dark, this is the best idea to make them feel safe and calm, especially at bedtime. You can even mix pink light with other soothing colors to make a sleep-friendly environment in the room at night. Part 3. What Color Light is Worst for Sleep? ❌ Blue Light The human brain needs to slow down things for good sleep, but blue light does the opposite. It is the worst light for sleeping as it blocks the melatonin production and keeps the brain and body active, similar to daytime. Besides disturbing the sleep cycle, blue light also hurts mood, and the brain starts feeling stressed. It reduces the sleep quality through disturbed and shallow sleep. That poor sleep ultimately affects the brain and weakens memory and focus. ❌ Green & Violet Light Just like blue, green & violet also confuse the brain to figure out whether it's time to relax or not. They also stop melatonin production, which causes bad and delayed sleep habits. Some studies have shown that the green light delays sleep by 30 to 60 minutes. As the sleeping pattern gets interrupted, the body’s natural healing process also gets disturbed, which causes several problems like dry eye or digital eye strain. Moreover, using such intense lights at night also results in anxiety, mood swings, and sadness. If exposed for a prolonged period, these lights can also affect heart health and cause high blood pressure and glucose levels. ❌ White Light White light is another worst color for sleep, especially cool white and bright light. It is a great color to be used during the day as it keeps the brain active and does not let the person fall asleep. If used at night, it does the same duty, gives a headache, causes dry eyes, and makes it difficult to remember things. Once the natural cycle is disturbed, you feel dull, dry, sad, and tired. Part 4: Lighting Tips for Better Sleep Your bedroom light affects sleep and keeps you relaxed, fresh, and wide awake. All you need to do is pay attention to your bedroom light bulbs and lighting strategies. Here are the tips anyone can use to keep their body and mind healthy through good sleep. 1. Light Bulb Selection Color Temperature: When it comes to choosing the right light bulb for nighttime, always pick colored bulbs with a color temperature of less than 3000K. Such bulbs throw a soft light-yellow or amber colored glow that mimics natural evening tones and helps the brain feel relaxed before sleep. Brightness: Bulbs with low lumens are great for triggering your brain to release melatonin. Keeping this in mind, always choose a bulb that gives soft and dim light under 300 lumens. Such a gentle glow will set the environment perfectly to feel relaxed and wind down. Smart Bulbs: Smart bulbs are also a great option, allowing users to set the temperature and brightness of the bulb through mobile phones or voice assistance. This helps create a perfect ambiance for sleep time, productivity, and relaxation. 2. Bedroom Lighting Strategies Layer Lighting: Layer lighting is a recommended strategy in which different lights are used in a room to create a cozy environment. The best combination is having an amber/orange light in the ceiling and a red light at any nearby place, like side tables or room corners. Blackout Curtains + Warm Task Lamps: Blackout curtains are thick curtains that block light from entering the room from outside. Warm task lamps throw a gentle glow in the room. Both these things, when combined, create the best vibes to sleep even during the daytime. Avoid Overhead Lights 1–2 Hours Pre-bed: Always turn the bright ceiling lights off 1-2 hours before going to bed. This act prepares the mind and promotes relaxing sleep. Part 5. Recommend Bedroom Lights for Sleeping 5.1 Best Light Bulbs For Sleep Light up your home with the Govee E26 LED colored light bulb. This bulb is packed with a bundle of features that make it suitable for nighttime use. It has the capacity to throw 850 lumens of bright light for perfect vibrant hues and warm glows suitable for good sleep. This bulb can be controlled through voice assistance through Google Assistant and Alexa. Just go to your bed, set your favorite light mode on, and enjoy a comfortable night. If you want to make your room colorful and fun, then Govee E12 smart candle light bulb is the best option. Just pick one favourite out of a million colors, adjust the color temperature & brightness, and you are good to go. This bulb also offers the function of scheduling and timer settings, so there will be no need to set it daily. The bulb will automatically set your comfort zone at the selected time. 5.2 Lamps For Sleeping Govee RGBICWW Floor Lamp Pro is an elegant and fancy lamp that is loaded with dense lamp bead distribution along its 5.6 feet length. It has a built-in function that synchronises different tunes with different lighting effects. With 2100 lumens of brightness and adjustable color temperatures, this lamp is perfect for meeting all the lighting needs. 5.3 Recessed Lighting With Night Light If you want to lighten up your space smartly with style, then Govee Recessed Lights Pro is the best option. With these lights, a colourful night with 80 different scenes can be enjoyed. These lights are very easy to install and control. FAQs About Lights For Sleeping Q1. How Much Light Sleep Do You Need? Light helps your brain catch signals about sleepy and active behaviors. To have a good sleep, you just require a good light color. There is no fixed number of hours that you can follow for good sleep. Simply select a warm and cozy light, turn it on throughout the night, and enjoy a good sleep. Q2. Does Red Light Help You Sleep? Yes, red light is considered the best light to enjoy the best sleepy moments. This light helps to produce more sleep hormones and reduce stress in the mind. These things ultimately compel the body to stop thinking and turn the relaxing mode on. Q3. How Does Blue Light Affect Sleep? Blue light is not a good sleep partner. It not only disturbs the natural sleep cycle but also hurts your mood through overthinking and stressful thoughts. It does not allow your brain to turn on the relaxation mode and follow a natural sleep cycle. Q4. Is It Bad To Sleep With Lights On? No, it is not bad to sleep with the lights on. You need to understand which lights should be turned on during the sleep hours. Some dim and warm lights like amber/orange, pink, and red light even make the environment more satisfying and support the sleeping cycle. On the other hand, bright lights like white, blue, and green should be avoided because they disturb the sleep cycle and keep the mind unfresh. Q5.Is Green Light Good For Sleep? No, green light is also not good for sleep. It makes the surroundings vibrant and bright, which gives signals to the brain to stay alert and active, similar to daytime. It does not allow the brain to prepare the body for sleep. Q6. Is Purple LED Light Good For Sleep? Purple or violet lights are not recommended during sleeping hours. This color blocks melatonin production and disturbs the sleepy behaviour of your body. Purple color also contains blue light, which interrupts and shifts your circadian rhythm. Q7. Are Night Lights Bad For Kids? Some specific lights, like bright white, blue, violet, and green, are bad for kids. These lights are dangerous for human health, not only for kids but for adults too. So it is always suggested to use the alternative warm colors like red, pink, amber, and dim yellow at night. These lights promote the sleep cycle by helping in proper melatonin production. Conclusion A perfect room atmosphere with proper lighting matters for a good sleep. The colors like red, pink, light yellow, and amber are the best colors that support the natural sleep cycle. Conversely, vibrant colors like white, blue, green, and violet are not suitable. They interact and disturb the sleeping cycle and make humans feel dull, unhealthy, fatigued, and burdened. Select the right night light and enjoy a comfortable sleep.