We tested whether red light therapy really helps you sleep

Katie Mather
·3 min read

Light plays a key role in our internal clocks, and doctors have theorized for years that red light therapy can help you sleep. Red light can stimulate the production of melatonin — the naturally occurring hormone that helps you sleep.

If you don’t think light is that influential, think about how often you stay awake way later than you anticipated because you were scrolling on your phone. Blue light actually stops your brain from producing melatonin, so while it’s good in small doses throughout the day, checking your phone or laptop before bed can negatively impact your sleep cycle.

To see how helpful red light actually is, In The Know’s Phoebe Zaslav conducted a week-long experiment to see if red light would help her sleep.

“Our world is filled with all different sources of artificial light that can throw us off our natural sleep cycle, like the blue light most of us are exposed to on the daily from our phones, computers and TV screens,” Phoebe explained. “For five nights I switched my regular light bulbs to red light bulbs for 30 minutes before bed.”

For 30 minutes before bed, Phoebe also tried not to look at her phone, a TV or anything that emits blue light.

“A lot of red light therapy lights can be a super huge contraption and can cost tons of money, but I decided to do this with individual light bulbs that emit red light wavelengths,” she said. “Not to be confused with red-tinted light bulbs, which can also be soothing, but wouldn’t have the same chemical effect on your body.”

For a week, Phoebe recorded herself waking up in the morning to see if she really did feel a difference.

“My overall conclusion is that I probably would have seen more jarring results if I did this experiment for, maybe, a longer period of time,” she said. “To be completely honest, while I did enjoy it, it was hard for me.”

For one thing, Phoebe had a different schedule every day — a factor she thought might have impacted her results. Still, she enjoyed the pressure to put her phone away before bed.

“I definitely noticed a difference in how relaxed I was when drifting off to sleep and feeling super disconnected and winded down,” she said. “It forced me to read, journal and meditate — which is always on my checklist and I never actually do it.”

Overall, Phoebe didn’t think this could be a permanent change to her nightly routine. But, if you’re looking for a natural way to improve your sleep, this could be a great option.

It's time to level up your kitchen gear! Here's how to get an adult kitchen

In The Know is now available on Apple News — follow us here!

If you liked this story, check out other Doing Well episodes here.

More from In The Know:

Board-certified gynecologist shares what to expect ahead of your first visit

Deaf, transgender model Chella Man shares how to be a better ally for people with disabilities

This sheet mask set is like a juice cleanse for your face

These chic blue light glasses can help you get a better night’s sleep

The post We tested whether red light therapy really helps you sleep appeared first on In The Know.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • NCAA approves helmet communication, sideline tablets, two-minute warning for college football

    The NCAA approved the use of helmet communiation devices and sideline tablets for college football next season. Additionally, a two-minute warning will be incorporated into gameplay.

  • UPDATE 1-Mexico's Slim eyes $7.7 billion investment in Brazil in coming years

    Mexican magnate Carlos Slim is considering investing more than 40 billion reais ($7.70 billion) in Brazil in the coming years, he said on Friday, after meeting with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia. Slim, whose family controls telecommunications giant America Movil, said the investments would be made in Brazil's 5G and fiber-optic networks. America Movil-owned Claro is a huge player in the South American country's telecom sector.

  • Initiative 'led by survivors to uncover the truth'

    THUNDER BAY – Residential school survivors gathered at a hotel on Highway 61 this week to discuss their experiences and how the Bringing Our Children Home Initiative should move forward. The initiative, also named Bikiiwewinig Nindawaashishiiminaanak, is investigating the possibility of unmarked graves where the Pelican Lake Indian Residential School once operated. Bringing Our Children Home “was created and led by survivors to uncover the truth,” Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull said Thursday durin

  • Fed says 1,804 banks and other institutions tapped emergency lending facility

    About 95% of the borrowers, which included banks, credit unions, savings associations, and branches and agencies of foreign banks, had less than $10 billion in assets, the U.S. central bank said in its semi-annual Financial Stability Report. The Bank Term Funding Program, as it was called, was aimed at addressing a liquidity crunch after a run on deposits led to the failures of SVB and Signature Bank and forced financial authorities to stage a rescue of the sector.

  • Port Moody honours Robert Simons with Freedom of the City award

    Before Wednesday night, it would have been hard to describe Robert Simons in a short sentence. The long-time Port Moody resident has served as a volunteer, committee member, board member, provincial appointee, vice-president and president of a dizzying amount of community, academic and non-profit organizations. Port Moody bestowed Simons with the highest honour it can give a resident on April 17, awarding him the Freedom of the City medal along with a key to the city. “My last love is giving bac

  • US State Dept 'fully expects' to finalize new AUKUS trade exemptions in next 120 days

    The U.S. State Department said on Friday it fully expects to finalize new trade exemptions for the AUKUS defense project with Australia and Britain over the next 120 days. "Exemptions in our export control systems, within a framework of shared standards with Australia and the UK, are key to harnessing and maximizing the innovative power residing in our defense industrial bases," the department said in a statement. "We fully expect to finalize the new trade exemptions – based on stakeholder input – over the course of the next 120 days," it said.

  • Former Wales winger Leighton James dies, aged 71

    He had three spells at Burnley, helped hometown club Swansea in to the top tier of English football and won 54 caps for his country.

  • Cambridge college cuts ties with philosophy fellow who sparked race row

    A college at the University of Cambridge has cut ties with a philosophy fellow who sparked a race row.

  • N.B. environment minister resigns, citing political differences with Higgs's Tories

    FREDERICTON — New Brunswick’s environment minister quit on Friday, citing political differences with the Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Blaine Higgs. Gary Crossman announced his decision on social media, saying that after 10 years representing the Saint John-area riding of Hampton, he has to prioritize his health. “My personal and political beliefs no longer align in many ways with the direction of our party and government,” Crossman wrote. He did not specify which of his bel

  • Fed report cites inflation, US election as key financial stability risks

    Persistent inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates were cited as key risks to financial stability in the Federal Reserve's latest survey of U.S. central bank contacts, with geopolitical troubles and the 2024 U.S. presidential election also mentioned as "a potentially significant source of shocks." "Contacts noted several areas of uncertainty including trade policy and other foreign policy issues related to escalating geopolitical tensions," the Fed said on Friday in its semi-annual survey of 25 market participants, academics and other contacts. The survey results were included as part of the Fed's latest Financial Stability Report, which looks at issues like leverage and risk-taking throughout the economy to try to identify potential trouble spots.

  • Private schools may have been included in Cambridge University scheme for deprived teens

    Private school pupils may have been flagged for inclusion in a Cambridge University scheme designed to help deprived teenagers, an investigation has found.

  • Nvidia Sinks, Exposing 8 'Secrets' For When To Sell Stocks

    As top growth stocks like Nvidia fall below key moving averages, keep in mind these proven rules for when to sell stocks.

  • Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department – live updates: What critics and fans are saying

    Pop star shares message with fans from Instagram as fans celebrate new album release, with many noticing several lyrical references to The 1975’s Matty Healy along with her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn

  • Forget Tesla. Top Funds Love This Non-Mag 7 AI Giant.

    As Tesla tanks, top funds bet big on AI leader Broadcom stock, as well as Nvidia and Google. But market pressures rise.

  • Stock market today: Tech stocks smoked, Nvidia tumbles 10% to cap worst week of the year

    A measure of calm was returning after Israel's retaliatory strike on Iran spooked the market and spurred a rush to safe havens such as gold.

  • Polish leader tells B.C. audience NATO allies need to spend more on defence

    VANCOUVER — Poland's president says members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, including Canada, must raise defence spending to three per cent of GDP to deter Russia's war in Ukraine from spreading. Andrzej Duda made the comments at a speech in Vancouver on Friday, a day ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. While not saying Canada by name, Duda says the West has "a lot of gaps" in its industrial base to produce military aid for Ukraine in its defence against Russia, a

  • Ryan Garcia misses weight for Devin Haney showdown as world title hopes vanish

    Fight remains on, but Garcia can no longer win Haney’s WBC light-welterweight title and will also pay rival $1.5m

  • The Office spin-off casts Domhnall Gleeson in lead role

    The Office US spin-off has cast Star Wars actor Domhnall Gleeson in a lead role.

  • AP Top Stories April 19 P

    Here's the latest for Friday, April 19th: Jury selected in Trump hush money trial; Biden courts union workers; House moves closer to aid package for Ukraine and Israel, World leaders try to cool Israel-Iran tensions.

  • Singer Luke Bryan reveals why he always has red eyes and it’s not why most people think

    ‘If I do interviews and I look like I’ve been smoking pot, that’s not true,’ Bryan says