“Fall Back” day is affectionately known as the “high holiday” in my household. The time shift allows me to wake up with a glimmer of sunlight again, which as a non-morning person is life changing.
The darkness that comes in the afternoon and evening is the price we have to pay for this high holiday. And our sleep cycles can really start to get out of whack.
With darkness, comes artificial light. And with artificial light at night, comes disrupted circadian rhythms (our 24 hour biological cycles). Prior to the lightbulb, candlelight and firelight were the only types of light that humans were exposed to at night. Our bodies are not yet suited to the use of artificial light at night.
Here are my five tips for making the most of this dark time of year:
- Expose yourself to real, unfiltered daylight during the day.
- Limit screen time at night.
- Invest in a good pair of blue light blocking glasses.
- Progressively lower the lights as the night goes on.
- Skip artificial light and use candlelight instead.
- Expose yourself to real, unfiltered daylight during the day.
Light and dark cycles are key to maintaining a healthy 24 hour clock. As we draw closer to the winter solstice (Dec. 21), there is far more darkness than light. So it is extra important to get some real sunlight exposure when we can.
Try to spend at least 15 minutes outside, without sunglasses or other UV blocking lenses. This unfiltered sunlight on your retina is key to maintaining your rhythm and setting you up for a good night’s sleep.
- Limit screen time at night.
White light is made up of a spectrum of colors, which have different effects on our bodies. The red end of the spectrum tends to be more relaxing and calming (think of looking into a campfire). Whereas, the blue end of the spectrum tends to be more energizing.
Most of our devices (phones, tablets, computers, TVs) give off a disproportionate amount of blue light, which is why limiting screen time at night is so often recommended.
- Invest in a good pair of blue light blocking glasses.
If cutting off from devices completely at night is challenging, blue light blocking glasses may be a solution. Many of our devices have blue light filters, but they don’t fully block the blue spectrum, making them not very effective.
Even if you’re not using your devices at night, but keep the lights on, blue light blocking glasses can be helpful for making the artificial light more soothing.
My favorite brand of blue light blocking glasses is BLUblox. Their Sleep+ glasses block 100% of blue and green light between 400 nm and 550 nm. That is to say that the most energizing part of the light spectrum is blocked so that you can have a restful night’s sleep.
I was skeptical of the impact at first, but wearing them has led to earlier bedtimes and greater ease of falling asleep for this night owl.
- Progressively lower the lights as the night goes on.
Simulating the sunset by progressively lowering the lights is a free and simple way to help you transition to sleep. Use the dimmer switch if you have one. Otherwise, reduce the number of lights that you have on, one by one. You can also make light fixtures less bright by removing light bulbs. Make sure they are cool to the touch before doing this!
- Skip artificial light and use candlelight instead.
My husband generally goes to bed before I do. I used to wind down in our living area with low lights, come upstairs, walk through a dark bedroom, and into a dark, windowless bathroom. I then turned the 5 bulb light fixture on, and boom – the whole wind down ritual was ruined. I was so blinded that I couldn’t even get my contacts out! It then took me ages to fall asleep.
One night I was sick of all of this and put a candle in the bathroom. I started getting ready for bed by candlelight. It was such a better intensity of light for my nighttime eyes and it became a more pleasurable way to end the day.
A word of caution. Make sure that you are burning as clean of candles as possible. You won’t be doing yourself any favors by inhaling toxic compounds. I love the Mrs. Meyer’s lavender candle. The lavender scent lulls me off to sleep.
There you have it. 5 tips to feel restored and in alignment with this dark time of year.
Is the darkness really getting you down? Check ‘Tis The Season: Dealing With Your Seasonal Affective Disorder from NPR’s Life Kit podcast.
