COULD YOUR OVERHEAD LIGHTS BE DISRUPTING YOUR SLEEP

THE CAUSE THE EFFECT AND STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO SUPPORT YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM

Have you ever slept for eight hours and still woken up feeling tired?

When sleep feels off, we often look first at food, stress, exercise, or supplements. Those things matter, but there is another foundational influence that is easy to overlook: the light around us.

Your body is designed to respond to a daily rhythm of brightness and darkness. Morning light helps signal that it is time to wake and be alert. Evening darkness helps signal that it is time to slow down and prepare for rest. When those signals become blurred, sleep and daytime energy may be affected.

The goal is not to fear artificial light or eliminate every screen. The goal is to understand the cause, recognize the possible effects, and make simple changes that better support the rhythm your body was designed to follow.

The Cause Modern Light Can Blur Natural Signals

Many of us spend our days indoors under relatively dim artificial light, then spend our evenings surrounded by bright overhead lights, phones, televisions, computers, and other light-emitting devices.

This creates the opposite of the natural pattern our bodies expect. The day may not be bright enough to send a strong daytime signal, while the evening may remain too bright to send a clear nighttime signal. Light is not the problem by itself. The amount, timing, and type of light all matter.

The Effect Your Body Clock Receives Mixed Messages

Your circadian rhythm is the approximately 24-hour timing system that helps coordinate sleep and wakefulness, hormone release, body temperature, digestion, and other daily processes. Light entering the eyes is one of the strongest signals used by this internal clock.

Bright light early in the day generally supports alertness and helps anchor the body clock. Bright evening light - especially blue-rich light - can delay melatonin and make the brain feel as though daytime is continuing. The body may feel tired while the light environment is still telling the brain to stay awake.

What You May Notice

•  Difficulty feeling sleepy at your normal bedtime.

•  Feeling exhausted but mentally alert once you get into bed.

•  Trouble falling asleep or waking during the night.

•  Sleeping for enough hours but still waking without feeling restored.

•  Brain fog, low morning energy, or relying heavily on caffeine to get started.

•  A sleep schedule that gradually shifts later than you would like.

These signs can have many causes, but your light environment is one foundational place to look. Your body is always communicating.

Steps You Can Take to Support Your Circadian Rhythm

You do not need to overhaul your life. Start by giving your body clearer daytime and nighttime signals.

Step One Get Morning Outdoor Light

Morning outdoor light gives your body a clear daytime signal and may help support healthier sleep timing later that night. Outdoor light is generally much brighter than indoor light, even on a cloudy morning.

•  Step outside soon after waking, when practical.

•  Begin with 5 to 10 minutes and build from there; cloudy days still count.

•  Let natural light reach your eyes without staring directly at the sun.

•  Pair the habit with water, prayer, stretching, walking the dog, or a short walk.

Step Two Increase Daytime Light

Getting enough light during the day creates a stronger contrast between daytime activity and nighttime rest. Take an outdoor break, eat lunch outside, sit near a window, or step out between meetings.

Step Three Soften Evening Light

As bedtime approaches, lowering the intensity of your light helps your environment send a nighttime message.

•  Dim overhead lights one to two hours before bed.

•  Choose warm amber-toned lamps in the evening.

•  Lower screen brightness and use warm-display settings on devices.

•  Keep screens out of bed when possible; place your dimmed phone across the room.

•  If screens are unavoidable, amber-tinted glasses may help some people; evidence is still developing.

Step Four Make the Bedroom Dark

Use blackout curtains, an eye mask, or cover small blinking lights. If you wake during the night, use the lowest, warmest light you can safely manage.

Natural Pantry Tip

Simple is sustainable. Choose one change for the morning and one change for the evening. Clearer signals repeated consistently can be more supportive than a complicated routine you cannot maintain.

Try This Gentle Three Day Light Reset

Morning: Go outside shortly after waking for at least a few minutes. Add a short walk or gentle movement if it feels good.

Daytime: Take one or two outdoor light breaks and keep your main living or working space bright during the day.

Evening: Dim overhead lights, choose warm lamps, and reduce screen brightness during the last one to two hours before bed.

Bedroom: Make the room cool, quiet, and as dark as is safely practical.

Notice: Pay attention to when you feel sleepy, how easily you fall asleep, and how you feel upon waking. Your body is always communicating.

The Bigger Picture

Health is not built through one perfect routine. It is built through small, repeated signals that help the body feel safe, supported, and in rhythm.

Food is information, but light is information too. Morning brightness tells your body to wake. Evening darkness gives it permission to slow down. When we honor both sides of that natural rhythm, we create a stronger foundation for rest, energy, and resilience.

Begin with one change tonight and one change tomorrow morning. Progress over perfection. One evening. One sunrise. One small step at a time.

Until next time, nourish your body, gather around the table, and remember - small steps create lasting change.

Blessings,

Dominique

The Natural Pantry

A Note for You

Persistent insomnia, loud snoring, pauses in breathing, restless legs, or ongoing daytime exhaustion deserve professional attention. Light habits can support sleep, but they do not replace individualized care. Speak to your practitioner about persistent insomnia. 

Sources and Further Reading

1. Owen, Thaddeus. Light Sleep and Longevity Reclaiming Your Circadian Rhythm in a Modern World. Wise Traditions, Summer 2026.

2. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Effects of Light on Circadian Rhythms and Improve Sleep by Avoiding Light.

3. Gooley JJ et al. Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset and Shortens Melatonin Duration in Humans. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2011.

4. Shechter A et al. Interventions to reduce short wavelength light exposure at night and their effects on sleep. Sleep Health. 2020.

5. de Menezes-Junior LAA et al. The role of sunlight in sleep regulation analysis of morning evening and late exposure. BMC Public Health. 2025.

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