Why You Should Ditch the Blue Light at Night and Chase the Sunrise in the Morning

Our bodies are basically walking clocks. They run on circadian rhythms — 24-hour cycles that control everything from when we feel sleepy to how well we digest food. And the biggest thing keeping that clock on time? Light.

The problem? We’re living in the brightest, most light-polluted era in human history. After the sun goes down, our houses glow with LEDs, TVs, and phone screens — all blasting blue light straight into our eyes.

Blue light in the daytime is great — it tells your body, “Hey, it’s daytime, be alert!” But at night? It’s like shouting WAKE UP! into your brain when it’s trying to wind down. Too much evening blue light suppresses melatonin (your sleepy-time hormone), making it harder to fall asleep and get deep, restorative rest.

Here’s the fix:

• At night: Swap bright white bulbs for warm amber light, or wear blue light blocking glasses after sunset. This tells your brain, “Okay, it’s nighttime. Time to relax.”

• In the morning: Do the opposite. As soon as you can after waking, go outside and get natural light — ideally watching the sunrise. Morning sunlight is full of specific wavelengths that signal your brain to stop making melatonin and start making cortisol (the healthy, energizing kind). This simple act helps set your body clock so you feel more awake in the day and sleepier at night.

Think of it like this:

At night, dim the lights so your body knows it’s time to rest. In the morning, flood your eyes with natural light so your body knows it’s time to start the day. Over time, this trains your circadian rhythm like a perfectly tuned metronome — improving sleep quality, mood, metabolism, and even hormone balance.

It’s such a simple hack that it almost feels too easy. But sometimes the smallest changes — swapping your bulbs and stepping outside at sunrise — can make the biggest difference.