5 Tips for Better Sleep: How Red Light Therapy Can Help
A good night’s sleep is one of the most powerful ways to improve your overall health. From boosting mood and
Red Light Therapy for Sleep, Yes, You Heard Right. Red light therapy technology can help improve sleep quality by slowly penetrating your body with low wavelengths to ensure a good night’s sleep. To have good sleep, your circadian rhythm must be in order.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the circadian rhythm refers to the body’s internal clock that controls wake and sleep cycles. It responds to light as a signal to be awake and darkness as a signal for sleep time.
According to sleep experts, light is a vital thing that trains and influences the circadian rhythm on a 24-hour cycle. Dr. Raj Dasgupta, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, notes that light has different wavelengths like blue light, red light, green light, etc. However, when we talk about red or blue bulbs, we are merely referring to the wavelength of the light.
Screens, as found in devices like phones, laptops, or computers, emit blue wavelength light. This light usually reacts sensitively to our eyes and suppresses the release of a sleep hormone called melatonin, according to studies.
Dr. Dasgupta says blue light is beneficial during the day because you need it then to suppress melatonin so you can stay awake during the day. However, at night you may need red light to stimulate melatonin and calm you to sleep.
Research has proven the benefits of red light therapy for improving overall body health. Dr. Casey Kelly, the founder and medical director of Case Integrative Health, points out that red light therapy can be used to treat and manage a number of health conditions, including Parkinson’s disease or so-called sleep-wake cycles.
Exposure to blue light has been found to inhibit the production of melatonin, a hormone responsible for promoting sleep. Research on red light therapy for sleep has shown positive results in terms of sleep support. Unlike blue light, exposure to red light stimulates the production of the sleep-supporting hormone melatonin.
Several studies have been conducted on healthy people about the effects of red light therapy exposure and sleep. Some researchers have found a connection between red light therapy and sleep. Some of these studies are discussed below:
According to sleep experts, one benefit of red light therapy for sleep is that it promotes good sleep by stimulating the body’s production of the hormone melatonin.
A study in the Journal of Athletic Training by researchers Jiexiu Zhao et al. conducted a study to determine the effect of red light therapy on the sleep of elite athletes after training. Researchers found that athletes who had 30 minutes of whole-body red light exposure beforehand had good sleep and their melatonin serum levels increased, making it an ideal recovery method for treating overtraining in sports.
It has been found that red light therapy has an effect on sleep inertia. Journal of Sleep and Research Sleep inertia is a condition that modulates mood, memory, alertness, and reaction time after waking up.
A publication by researchers Marian G. Figueiro et al. in Nature and Science of Sleep examined the effects of red light therapy on sleep inertia. The results of the study show that healthy adults who wore red light masks and red light glasses upon waking experienced less sleep inertia.
It has been found that exposure to red light therapy not only promotes sleep but also promotes attention, which is why its use upon waking is recommended. It has been found to help regulate mood, memory, and attention, so you can stay productive during the day.
Mariana Figueiro PhD., a professor in the Department of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, conducted a study with a research team from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, on the effects of different light conditions on sleep.
Figuueiro and the team found out that the circadian cycle is only maximally sensitive to short-wavelength blue light and insensitive to long-wavelength red light. According to this result, moderate exposure to red light can impair attention – an effect that occurs via a signaling pathway and not through the circadian system.
More needs to be discovered about the health benefits of red light therapy in treating and managing various health conditions. While research on red light therapy is still ongoing to fully determine the various health benefits it can offer, the scientific community has already proven a number of its health benefits.
It has been found that red light therapy for sleep devices naturally triggers the synthesis of melatonin, a hormone produced by the brain and responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
A Plos One Journal published study shows that exposure to red light wavelengths can promote sleep as the melatonin hormone is not suppressed by it.
People who travel across different time zones experience what experts call jet lag. This condition arises due to a disruption of the body’s internal clock. Jet lag symptoms include insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue.
Frontiers in Physiology published study shows that the application of red light therapy can be an effective means of combating jet lag by reducing jet lag symptoms and resetting the circadian rhythm.
It has also been found that red light therapy relieves sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and insomnia. A 2020 publication in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice has found that red light therapy can lead to moderate to severe insomnia in cancer survivors.
Also, red light therapy for sleep can contribute to pain relief. When someone suffers from chronic pain, it is difficult for them to fall asleep.
According to the Journal of Neuroinflammation, the application of red light therapy has been proven to relieve inflammation and pain, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Also, red light therapy is effective for seasonal depression (SAD) and depression. SAD is a condition that people experience in the winter due to lack of sunlight exposure.
According to a publication by Johns Hopkins Medicine, people can use red light therapy to take advantage of the benefits of sunlight as it mimics sunlight by increasing serotonin levels and also lowering cortisol levels. These chemical changes in the body help reduce SAD symptoms.
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Due to its non-invasive treatment approach, red light therapy is slowly but steadily gaining popularity in the healthcare industry. This method of treatment has proven to be useful in treating and managing various health issues. Among other benefits, it can help improve sleep, treat and improve skin conditions, relieve pain, and heal wounds.
Sleep is a crucial component of overall health, and people who lack good sleep usually develop other health problems. Red light therapy is a proven method that has been shown to improve sleep quality by effectively treating various sleep disorders.
We believe the information in this article will help enhance your understanding of red light therapy for sleep, including how it works, its health benefits, and when and how often you should use it.
A good night’s sleep is one of the most powerful ways to improve your overall health. From boosting mood and
Red Light Therapy (RLT) is transforming the fitness and wellness landscape with its scientifically backed benefits. Beyond skincare and general