With all the content available online these days, it can be hard to figure out what’s real and what’s hype.
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what → figure → content
While we don’t always have the answers, we have a direct line to people who do — which is why we present to you our series The Internet Made Me Ask, where we have experts break down the truth about some of the buzziest trends (and questions) on our timelines, like whether you need pet laundry detergent to clean your dog’s things..
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you → have → things
Red light therapy is having a moment — a pretty long one, too.
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therapy → have → moment
You’ve probably seen the glowing face masks on your feed, the panels promising faster muscle recovery, and the wands claiming to smooth fine lines and even regrow hair.
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You → see → hair
Fans credit it with easing everything from joint pain to acne, and lately a new claim has joined the list — many are saying that red light can help you sleep better and that if you swap your phone’s harsh blue glow for a warm red one, your body will finally get the message that it’s time to wind down.
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it → credit → message
To find out, I spoke to sleep experts about what red light can and can’t do for your rest, how it compares to other bedtime habits, and whether it’s worth adding to your nighttime routine because, let’s face it, red light therapy devices and accessories can get pricey.
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devices → find → it
Can red light help you sleep?
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you → help → ?
“There have been some studies in the past two years or so that have shown us that red light therapy can be helpful in improving sleep quality, but not necessarily sleep duration or sleep fragmentation,” says Dr. Daniella Marchetti, clinical health psychologist, behavioral sleep medicine specialist and Mattress Firm sleep advisor.
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Marchetti → show → quality
In other words, red light may help you feel like you slept better, but it’s less likely to keep you asleep longer or cut down on how often you wake up during the night.
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you → help → night
“At this stage, there’s still more research that’s needed in order to establish it as a treatment for insomnia, so I’d consider it as a tool in the toolbox, but not necessarily a cure-all for insomnia,” she says.
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she → ’ → insomnia
So, how does red light therapy for sleep work?
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therapy → work → sleep
“The simplest way to think about it is that light is a biological signal,” says Dr. Greg Jones, a longevity doctor and sleep health expert.
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Jones → think → it
“Your brain uses light exposure to help set your circadian clock.
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brain → use → clock
Red light has much less impact on the light-sensitive retinal cells that suppress melatonin (a sleep hormone) compared with blue light (the kind a phone emits), so it’s less likely to send your brain a ‘Hey, it’s daytime!’ message right before bed.
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it → have → bed
That makes red light a smarter choice than a bright overhead bulb or your phone screen when you need to see in the evening, whether you’re reading, getting ready for bed or making a middle-of-the-night bathroom trip.
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you → make → trip
Still, Jones cautions against expecting it to knock you out on its own.
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it → caution → own
“Although red light is an interesting sleep tool, it’s not a magic sleep switch,” he says.
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he → ’ → ?
“Its biggest advantage is that it allows us to keep the bedroom illuminated at night without sending a daytime signal to the brain, as bright or blue-rich light does.
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light → allow → brain
Below, I rounded up red light products worth considering for a more sleep-friendly evening routine, from smart bulbs and bedside lamps to night lights.
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I → round → lights
To gather this list, I relied on expert advice on what to look for and then sourced highly-rated options based on their guidance.
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I → gather → guidance
If you want a red light device made specifically for sleep, the Helight Sleep is a solid pick.
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Sleep → want → sleep
The palm-sized, rechargeable device emits 630 nanometers of red light, within the therapeutic range Marchetti says can help.
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Marchetti → emit → range
The light turns on for 14 minutes, then gradually fades over another 14 before shutting off on its own, so you never have to worry about leaving it on all night.
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you → turn → it
It emits 660 nanometers of red light with adjustable brightness, and its 30- or 60-minute auto-off timer lines up with Jones’s advice to use red light for 30 minutes to an hour before bed (more on that later).
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timer → emit → that
It’s cordless and rechargeable via USB-C, so you can place it anywhere you want in a room.
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you → ’ → room
If you’d rather not buy a whole new device, Marchetti says a red bedside bulb works.
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bulb → buy → device
This budget-friendly Neporal bulb fits a standard lamp and emits 625 nanometers of red light, making it easy to give any bedside lamp, nursery fixture or hallway light a sleep-friendly glow for reading or nighttime bathroom trips.
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it → fit → reading
We can help you find
This two-pack of plug-in night lights from Gamma emit 670 nanometer of red light, so you can light the way down the hall without flooding the room with sleep-disrupting white or blue light.
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you → help → light
That makes them a smart pick for kids’ rooms, nurseries and bathrooms.
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them → make → rooms
“Devices like night lights that are red lights versus blue or white lights can be helpful for kids in keeping them sleepy in the middle of the night — especially if they’re taking trips to the bathroom,” says Marchetti.
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Marchetti → keep → bathroom
How I chose the best red light products for sleep
To figure out what actually matters when shopping for a red light device for sleep, I asked experts which features to look for.
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I → choose → features
Here’s what they recommend keeping in mind.
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they → ’ → mind
Not all red light is created equal, so check the product’s specs before you buy.
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you → create → specs
“There’s a difference between red light therapy and red bulbs,” says Marchetti.
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Marchetti → ’ → therapy
“Red light therapy is technically when the wavelength is large enough that it’s therapeutic (typically 600-800 [nanometers]), and research has shown this can help with sleep quality.”
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this → ’ → quality
So, if you’re interested in the potential sleep-quality benefits of red light therapy specifically, look for a device that lists its wavelength in the therapeutic range.
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that → ’re → range
- Ease of use: The best red light device is one that fits seamlessly into your nightly routine.
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that → fit → routine
Look for features like dimmable brightness, a dedicated red or amber mode and a timer or auto shut-off, so you can drift off without having to get up to turn it off.
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you → look → it
Smart bulbs that you can control from your phone or schedule to shift warmer in the evening are also handy, and plug-in night lights with motion or dusk-to-dawn sensors take the guesswork out of middle-of-the-night trips.
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lights → control → trips
Red light products range widely in cost.
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products → range → cost
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
