The Light We Live In: How Lighting Shapes Our Sleep, Mood, and Well-Being

What if the secret to better sleep, calmer evenings, brighter mornings, and a more peaceful life wasn’t a pill or a supplement… but the light you live in every single day?

Let’s talk about the lighting that heals us, holds us, softens us, and—when we understand it—loves us back.

I’ve been thinking a lot about light lately—how much it affects our energy, our hormones, our mood, and especially our sleep. Most of us never learned how powerful light really is. We adjust lamps, turn on overheads, scroll on bright phones at night, and never stop to think about what those choices are doing inside our bodies.

But once you understand the language of lighting… everything changes.

Let me share what I’ve learned, what I’ve lived, and what I now swear by.

☀️Morning Light: The Most Healing Wake-Up Cue We Have

Waking with natural morning light is truly one of the healthiest things we can do. Our brains are designed to wake gradually, softly, with the kind of light that tells our hormones:

“Good morning… let’s rise gently together.”

Natural morning light supports:

• A healthy cortisol awakening response

• Steadier daytime energy

• Better mood

• Less grogginess

• More stable blood sugar

• Earlier, smoother melatonin release at night

When I sleep with my blinds open, which I typically do, the sunrise is like a quiet invitation into the day. And I’ve come to love it.

I also have a Hatch sunrise alarm, which I used to rely on all the time—and I recently remembered how absolutely lovely it is. That slow, amber glow paired with the soft, almost meditative morning chime? It feels like being woken by kind monks in a faraway temple.

I’m thrilled to bring it back into my routine.

🌙Evening Light: Where Peace and Good Sleep Begin

Just as morning light wakes us up, evening light prepares us to rest.

Our bodies respond beautifully to warm, dim, sunset-colored light because it tells the brain:

“The day is winding down… you can soften now.”

At night, I avoid bright overhead lighting. Instead, I use:

• Soft lamps

• Warm amber bulbs

• Dimmed lighting

• Candlelight (more on that in a moment)

• My Hatch “sunset” mode when I remember

• A tiny motion nightlight for safe bathroom trips

This simple shift changes everything—melatonin rises earlier, my body relaxes faster, and I fall asleep with ease.

Lighting is not just décor. It’s biology.

🔥Red Light Therapy: Joovv, SaunaSpace & Other Gentle Healers

The deeper I explore lighting, the more fascinated I am with red light therapy.

Red and near-infrared light—like what you get from Joovv panels, SaunaSpace photon lights, and other therapeutic devices—has been shown to:

• Reduce inflammation

• Support healing

• Improve cellular energy

• Help with recovery

• Enhance skin health

• Reduce stress

• Support circadian rhythms

Red light at night doesn’t interfere with melatonin, either. It calms the nervous system rather than energizing it.

It feels like the light equivalent of a warm embrace.

🕯Let’s Talk Candlelight… and a Tender Truth

I have to say… few things feel as romantic and peaceful as a candlelit evening.

A quiet room, a soft flame dancing, everything glowing warm—it just does something to the soul. Candlelight signals safety, intimacy, and presence. And while it’s wonderful to share with someone you love, I’ve learned that it’s just as beautiful to share it with yourself.

I’m in a solo chapter right now—growing, healing, dreaming, becoming—and I’m learning to love myself enough to create beautiful spaces even when no one else is here to see them.

But I’ll also admit this with an open heart:

I hope to share my bedroom, my light, and my life with someone again someday.

There’s no need to hide that longing. Wanting love is human.

Until then, I’m lighting candles for myself… and enjoying every soft, warm moment.

🛁Nighttime Bathroom Lighting: A Small Choice With Big Impact

If you take away nothing else, take this:

Never flip on bright overhead bathroom lights in the middle of the night.

Bright white light at 2 a.m. signals “daytime,” spikes cortisol, and makes it hard to fall back asleep.

What helps instead:

• Motion-sensor amber or red nightlights

• Under-cabinet lighting (my favorite)

• Soft, low, warm glows

These keep melatonin stable and let you slip right back into sleep.

While I am not one who wakes often during the night, my own tiny motion light is truly one of the sweetest gifts I’ve given myself—it’s gentle, soft, and respectful of my already-sleepy brain.

🛏Creating a Bedroom That Loves You

Your bedroom can become one of the most healing spaces in your life when you light it intentionally.

Think:

• Warm bulbs (1800–2200K)

• Smooth lamp shades

• Frosted glass glow lamps

• Romantic, gentle dimness

• Zero overheads at night

• Soft lighting in layers

• Natural sunrise in the morning

Your lighting becomes your lullaby.

And if, like me, you’re sleeping single right now?

You get to design it exactly the way your soul likes it.

🍯Honey Note

Lighting is more than ambiance—it’s medicine for your nervous system.

It tells your body when to wake, when to soften, when to rest, and when to dream.

Let your evenings glow warmly.

Let your mornings rise gently.

Let your bedroom feel like a sanctuary built just for you.

Whether you’re sharing your bed with someone or savoring a solo chapter, you deserve a life—and a home—lit with intention, romance, softness, and care.

We all deserve that kind of light.

With warmth, light, and a cozy goodnight,

Honey 🐝