Does the Colour of Light Help You with Sleep? A Guide to LED Colours that Help You Sleep Better

Having a good night's sleep is super important for your overall well-being. Light plays a significant role in our sleep cycle. We've all been told that any form of light (natural or artificial) can impact our sleep. Blue light in particular has frequently been singled out as a leading cause of sleep deprivation.

Actually, having too much white and blue light in your bedroom is bad for your health. According to a new study, blue light has the most significant impact on mood, followed by white light. If the lights you use are blue or white, your room will light up with energy, and you likely won’t feel peaceful before sleep.

Of course, light is almost the opposite of sleep. This may essentially be true, but the issue gets a little more complicated with coloured LEDs. The light you’re exposed to just before bedtime and in the early morning affects your biological clock. On the other hand, recent studies show that certain light frequencies might help with sleep and promote good rest.

In this article we’ll examine how specific colours affect our sleep differently. We'll also look at what's considered one of the most effective types of light in encouraging sleep.

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Red is the answer to the question of what colour of light helps you sleep. Red light causes your brain to produce the sleep hormone melatonin, a hormone released into the body from the pineal gland that helps you mentally and physically relax while you drift off to sleep.

The body's melatonin levels traditionally have been controlled by sunlight. The sun inhibits melatonin secretion during daylight, which signals the body to be awake. At night, once the sun sets and there is less light, more of this hormone is released. All that changed with the arrival of modern technology, as artificial light from sources like lamps can disturb your body's natural rest patterns, no matter how tired you might be. This is why researchers say blue light exposure in the evening can interfere with your body's ability to fall asleep. For this reason, we generally advise you to not expose yourself to blue light sources and stay off your smartphone for at least an hour before bed.  

Related Article: How Blue Light Affects Your Sleep?

Virtually all light can make you feel sleepy or have some other effect on you, but some types of light have a more substantial impact than others. For example, direct sunlight has 10,000 lux, while office lighting usually is only around 500 lux. That's why daylight is so influential on Sleep and circadian rhythms. The quality of light and the direction of light can also have a massive impact on things like our mood, sleep, or mental state.

• Brightness  – light levels can affect mood and sleep. Research findings show brighter lights make people feel better and more sleepy, while dimmer lights have the opposite effect.

• Hue  – light interacts with our mood, sleep patterns, and the natural environment more than we might realise. Artificial light with a blue shade could promote wakefulness more effectively than traditional incandescent bulbs.

• Saturation  – when it comes to emotions, the intensity of hues has an effect. The more intense the hue, the more effective that colour is.

Related Article: How Many Lumens Should a Desk Lamp Have?

• Bright wall lighting with cooler tones  – a recent study shows that exposure to bright light (really just daylight) can boost mood and concentration levels. It may also help to prevent illness, circadian rhythm disorders, and even nearsightedness.

• Low overhead lighting with warm colours  – warm light has a yellowish hue that appears more inviting and gives off a natural, cozy atmosphere. Additionally, warm light helps us relax and can increase productivity by recreating the ambience of a candle-lit room.

• Intense direct light from above  – can cause us to feel stressed, anxious, and restless. This can lead to insomnia and other sleep issues.  Most commonly found in large offices, which are not supposed to be conducive to sleep.

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The best night light colours for sleep are red and amber, as they are warm and soothing colour that promote a good night's sleep. It's thought that colours close to red on the light spectrum stimulate melatonin production. Red light has a lower colour temperature than regular sunlight, making it ideal for sleep. Because red light has a low colour temperature and does not make our brains respond so much to its wavelengths, red is the best way to switch from daylight to night without interrupting your sleep cycle.

One 2017 study on mice even found that red light at an intensity of 10 lux or higher had the potential to induce Sleep. Researchers noted that light under 10 lux had no effect.

Questions about the potential of pink light to help with sleep are not uncommon. If you'd like a softer glow at night, pink might be worth trying out. However, there's no currently available research backing pink's viability as a sleep aid.

Since actual sunrise might be too early for most people, pink lighting might be a good option if you need light to wake up on time in the morning. Pink light sources are a good choice for your child's bedroom. Not only do they provide a fairy tale feel, but they're also soothing. As an alternative to conventional lighting, pink lights can help set the right mood in yoga rooms or your favorite space to relax in.

Related Article: Reading Before Bed with Wrong Colour: How It can Ruin Your Sleep and Do I Need a Lamp for Screen Reading at Night?

The worst colours for bedroom lighting are blue and white light. Most of us are no strangers to the dangers of blue light from screen-based electronics. It is well known that exposure to blue light can negatively affect sleep quality. Babies and children are also negatively affected by blue and white light before bed.

Furthermore, cool colour LEDs such as blue and green enhance focus and inhibit melatonin production. That’s why white light is so frequently used in spaces designed to keep us awake, according to a 2011 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Daily white light exposure can overwhelm a child's sleep, causing problems.

Blue light has been clinically shown to interrupt sleep, while green light is more calming. Despite relatively similar effects, the two colours do have major differences. Green is often used by gamers to stay alert late at night. Green is much more visible in the dark than white light or complete darkness, so it could be a good alternative if you want to work late.

Getting solid rest is a common struggle for many people, often every night. This could be tied to the increased prevalence of screen use right before bedtime. While these bedtime rituals might not be entirely new, increased exposure to blue light carries serious health risks, especially to our eyes.  Also, looking at a screen much brighter than your surroundings will cause your eyes to work harder, which can cause symptoms such as blurred vision, headaches, or dry eyes. These symptoms could affect your sleep.

Making changes as simple as adjusting lighting to a comfortable setting can make a difference, which is where a BenQ monitor light bar comes in. BenQ is the world-leading brand for eye care-focused monitors and monitor peripherals, pioneering both flicker-free and low blue light technologies to give you fantastic viewing experiences that are eye strain and worry free.

Tired of squinting at your computer screen? You know the feeling when you're studying, working, or watching videos at night and find yourself straining to see what's on your screen. The screen is just too dim, and your eyes are getting tired. BenQ monitor light bars are an excellent solution for lighting your workstation without causing screen glare. This eye care light also decreases the brightness contrast between the computer screen and its surroundings to give the best eye protection in the hour before bedtime.

It's time to take care of your eyes! With our monitor light bar, you can finally have perfect brightness that doesn't strain your eyes so you can focus on what matters. So, what do you think about our eye-care lighting? You should really see them for yourself!