Discover the beauty and sleep benefits of red light therapy. Learn how red light can help you fall asleep faster and wake up with healthier, more radiant skin.
Sleep deprivation is common in America and Europe, and light exposure is a key factor. Over 65 % of adults report insufficient good-quality sleep each week, while the average American spends more than 90 % of time indoors—far from the natural light the body expects.
Compounding the problem, evening exposure to artificial blue light from screens and overhead LEDs can trigger headaches and delay sleep onset. Bright blue light from phones, laptops, and TVs signals “daytime” to the brain, suppressing the natural release of melatonin even when you feel tired.
Melatonin, the hormone that governs sleep and wakefulness, appears to rise more readily after exposure to red or dim amber light than after blue light. Red light therapy delivers low-intensity, long-wavelength light that is much less likely to shift the circadian clock. Early trials suggest it may ease insomnia and other sleep disturbances without the side-effects associated with bright blue light.
The treatment is simple and non-invasive: concentrated red light is applied to skin and eyes for 5–15 minutes, ideally at dusk. Studies indicate this brief exposure can support endogenous melatonin production and improve both sleep quality and total sleep time.
Light is the primary cue for the circadian clock. While blue-rich light in the morning advances the rhythm, evening blue light delays it. Red light’s low colour temperature—closer to sunset—appears to minimise this disruptive effect, making it a practical choice for night-time use.
Adequate natural light anchors a healthy circadian rhythm. Red light therapy supplies a portion of that spectrum without UV rays or excess heat. By stimulating mitochondrial function and increasing cellular ATP, the treatment may help the body generate melatonin more efficiently and regulate sleep-wake cycles.
Small clinical studies support these observations. A two-week evening programme in professional basketball players improved subjective sleep quality, and the authors proposed red light as a drug-free, non-invasive option for sleep management. Larger, longer trials are still needed.
Our light-therapy products are registered with the FDA as Class II medical devices for treating pain, strain, and inflammation. They are not cleared for specific sleep disorders or melatonin enhancement; however, early research is encouraging, and many users report better rest when sessions are timed in the early evening.
PubMed search: red light therapy and sleep NICHD: circadian rhythms and sleep health
This information is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Recent research on sleep disorders among people with migraine headaches suggests that red light therapy may reduce headache frequency and could also improve sleep disturbances.
A 2014 study on cognitive function and traumatic brain injury (TBI) noted that participants reported fewer PTSD episodes and better sleep.
By analyzing patients’ electrical brain activity, a 2013 sleep study found that red light therapy appeared especially helpful for people with sleep disorders to fall asleep.
When I’m indoors training under artificial lights, my body misses natural light. Add computers, phones, and TVs, and blue-light exposure climbs. I used to struggle to sleep after long training days, but since adding red light therapy to my routine, I fall asleep faster and stay asleep.*
Sanne Wevers
Gold-Medal Winning Dutch Gymnast
Research highlights strong links between mood and sleep disorders. Brain areas that regulate sleep also influence mood. A 2013 review noted that “nearly all people suffering from mood disorders have significant disruptions in circadian rhythms and the sleep/wake cycle.”
This Greatist post on natural light and serotonin outlines how daylight exposure can affect mental health and sleep, and mentions red light therapy devices as one way to increase natural light when sunlight is limited.
Sleep difficulty is a common symptom of seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that peaks during darker months. Some clinicians report that red light therapy may lift mood and improve sleep in patients with depression.
This information is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Further reading:
Naeser MA, Zafonte R, et al. “Significant improvements in cognitive performance post-transcranial, red/near-infrared light-emitting diode treatments in chronic, mild traumatic brain injury: open-protocol study.” Journal of Neurotrauma. 2014 Jun 1;31(11):1008-17.
Wu JH, Chang YC. Effect of low-level laser stimulation on EEG power in normal subjects with closed eyes. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013;2013:476565.
Vadnie C, McClung C. Circadian rhythm disturbances in mood disorders: insights into the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Neural Plasticity. 2017 Nov.
McClung C. How might circadian rhythms control mood? Let me count the ways. Biological Psychiatry. 2013 Apr.
Nutt D, Wilson S, et al. Sleep disorders as core symptoms of depression. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 2008 Sep.
Avci P, Gupta A, et al. Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. Mar 2013.
