How light affects the quality and length of your sleep

Light can profoundly affect sleep and wakefulness. In fact, since indoor and artificial lights became more prevalent, people have moved farther and farther away from their natural sleep patterns as they remain awake long past sunset. Here’s a quick look at the significant effects of light in getting restful sleep.

Image source: Pixabay.com       

 Light is very important in establishing circadian time. External environmental, as well as social cues, set the phase for the circadian cycle, with daylight as the most powerful factor. This makes it harder to sleep in bright light than in dim light, and better for people to perform cognitive and physical tasks when there’s light than when it’s dark, independent of whether they feel sleepy.


Darkness or the absent of light sends a critical signal to the body that’s time to rest. Light exposure at the wrong times changes the body’s internal sleep clock, interfering with both length and quality of sleep. Melatonin, a hormone that influences sleep, naturally increases in levels during the early evening as darkness falls and continues to rise throughout most of the night.

Image source: Pixabay.com       

Artificial light wreaks havoc on sleep in today’s modern world. It disrupts circadian rhythm that governs not just sleep patterns but also the possibility of having sleep disorders, depression, and cardiovascular disease, to name a few. This sleep-disrupting light is mostly obtained from artificially lit screens such as television and iPhones.

Perhaps the most basic advice regarding artificial light is to shield it properly in the bedroom and use light at night only when it’s absolutely needed. There’s absolute merit to staying away from one’s gadgets at least an hour before hitting the sheets, especially if one’s after good, uninterrupted shuteye.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon graduated from New York Medical College in 1991. She received her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. She has since focused on developing her own private medical in New Jersey. More posts like this on this page.