Back to: Wake-up Rested – Sleep Series

Start dimming your lights in the two to three hours before bed. And while screen light does matter, it matters less than we used to think, what you’re watching on the screen matters more.

The mechanism: certain receptors in your eyes respond to the low angle of light at sunrise and sunset, signalling the start or end of the day. Bright overhead lights hit a different receptor, one that tells your body the sun is high in the sky, meaning stay alert, stay active, not time for sleep. So minimising bright overhead lights in the evening, using low, warm, or red lighting, candles, anything gentler, is the most powerful lever here, ideally from when the sun starts going down, but at minimum in the last two to three hours before bed.

On screens specifically: stimulating content, like scrolling social media, is designed to keep you alert and active, which works against your ability to wind down. Cut that out at least a couple of hours before bed. There is a caveat, though: for people dealing with high stress where a sleep meditation or story isn’t enough to quiet a busy mind, a low-key screen, brightness down, something mildly engaging but not activating, like a documentary, can be a useful short-term tool to distract from racing thoughts. That’s different from scrolling Instagram as you try to fall asleep.

Get on top of your evening light and screen habits and you’ll notice falling asleep gets easier, and your sleep gets more restful.