Red light in the morning

What it is

Sitting in front of a red or near-infrared light panel for a few minutes a day, usually at a set distance given by the panel’s manufacturer.

What the research says

Red light (photobiomodulation) is an active research area, but many studies are small, use different devices and doses, and are hard to compare.

• Skin. A review of 31 randomized trials found some small studies reporting improvements in wrinkles, texture or collagen-related measures, with mixed and low-to-moderate quality evidence. (Jagdeo et al., Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2018)
• Sleep and body clock. There isn’t good evidence yet that a red-light panel at home improves sleep or shifts circadian timing. The closest trial used a neck collar, not a panel, in 30 adults before bed: objective sleep didn’t differ from a sham device, though people using the real collar reported sleeping better. (Kennedy et al., Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2023)
• Dose. The trials used very different settings. What matters is the light’s wavelength, its strength at your actual distance, and how long you sit there, not distance or minutes alone. A manufacturer’s recommended distance only applies to that brand’s panel.

So think of any sleep or energy change as something to measure, not something to expect.

How to try it

1. Follow your panel’s guidance for distance and duration.
2. Protect your eyes as the manufacturer recommends.
3. Same time every day, ideally in the morning.
4. Change one thing only. Keep bedtime and caffeine steady while you test.

If you take medication that makes you sensitive to light, or have an eye condition, check with a clinician first.