Light colors can influence the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
Warm light with red and orange tones can promote tiredness.
Cool, blue light keeps you awake for longer and can suppress the release of melatonin.
The right lighting supports the natural sleep-wake rhythm.
Light has a significantinfluence on our sleep-wake rhythm. Not only the brightness, but also the color of the light plays an important role. Different light colors can make us tired or keep us awake by influencing the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
In this article, you will learn how light colors affect our body and how you can use the right lighting for a healthy sleep-wake rhythm.
Our biological rhythm is largely controlled by daylight. Natural daylight contains a high proportion of blue light, which keeps us awake and focused during the day.
As darkness falls in the evening, our body begins to release the sleep hormone melatonin. Artificial light can both support and disrupt this natural process.
Melatonin is the most important hormone for our sleep-wake rhythm. It is produced in the pineal gland and makes us tired. Its production is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light, especially blue light. Different colors of light can have different effects on tiredness and melatonin production.
Warm light colors such as yellow, orange and red light promote the production of melatonin and make us tired. They are similar to natural evening light and signal to our body that it is time to sleep. They are therefore particularly suitable as light colors for the evening.
Modern and innovative LED lamps offer the option of switching between warm and cold light .
Blue light has the strongest influence on our sleep-wake rhythm. The main sources are screens of
👉 Expert tip: Excessive exposure to blue light in the evening can possibly lead to problems falling asleep and reduced sleep quality.
There are various ways to reduce the negative effects of blue light in the evening.
You can try these out:
Activate the blue light filter on your devices.
Use special blue blocker glasses that filter blue light.
Use light objects with warm color tones for evening lighting.
Use these tips to optimize your lighting for a restful sleep:
Use dimmable lamps to reduce the light intensity in the evening.
Combine different light colors: cool light for working, warm light for relaxing.
The NEONA collection includes innovative lighting solutions that are tailored precisely to these needs. From stylish ceiling lights to flexible rechargeable lights, you will find the perfect solution for your individual lighting concept here.
The color temperature indicates how "warm" or "cold" the light of a lamp appears. It is measured in Kelvin (K).
In addition to light color, brightness also plays a decisive role in our well-being and our wake-sleep rhythm. Brightness is measured in lumens and describes the amount of light emitted by a lamp.
Bright light signals to the body to stay awake and active as it inhibits the release of melatonin. In the morning hours in particular, bright light helps to get the circulation going and increase alertness. In the evening, on the other hand, excessive lighting can disrupt the process of falling asleep.
Dimmed, indirect light in warm tones supports relaxation and promotes natural tiredness. It is therefore advisable to reduce the brightness in bedrooms and living rooms in the late hours and rely on soft light sources.
Today, innovative LED lamps offer the option of individually adjusting the light color - depending on requirements and the time of day. These so-called "smart LEDs" or lamps with CCT (correlated color temperature) technology make it possible to switch between warm white and cool white light. For example, users can control and set the desired color temperature and brightness using a remote control.
Discover our NEONA living room lights, for example, with which you can flexibly design your lighting ambience.
To support your natural sleep-wake rhythm, you should adjust the lighting and color temperature to the time of day:
In the morning and during the day: Bright, cool light with a high blue component for alertness and concentration.
Evening: Warm, subdued light in red or orange tones to promote melatonin production.
At night: As dark as possible; if necessary, only use very subdued, red light.
This flexibility not only promotes well-being, but also supports a healthy biorhythm by simulating the natural lighting conditions of the day.
The right light color can have a major influence on our sleep-wake rhythm. Warm light tones in the evening promote tiredness, while cool, blue light keeps us awake.
With modern LED lights, the lighting can be optimally adapted to the time of day and the respective needs. This allows you to make targeted use of the positive effects of different light colors and support your natural biorhythm.
Warm light in subdued red or orange tones is ideal as a light color for the evening. It promotes melatonin production and prepares the body for sleep.
The color temperature is a measure to describe the color impression of light sources. Warm white has a color temperature below 3,300 Kelvin, neutral white from 3,300 to 5,300 Kelvin and daylight white above 5,300 Kelvin.
Blue light can suppress melatonin production and thus disrupt sleep. It is better to avoid it in the evening.
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