Red Light for Sleep: How to Use It to Improve Rest

You take care of yourself. You train, eat well, and try to get enough sleep. But there are surely days when you wake up just as tired as when you went to bed or with joint discomfort that won’t go away. Often the culprit isn’t your routine, but the artificial light you’re exposed to every day.

You don’t need sleeping pills. What you need is to understand how blue light affects your cells and melatonin production. To clarify these kinds of doubts, we launched Wellbeinn University, a channel where we "translate" health and recovery theory into practical advice, so you know what’s happening to your body and how to fix it from home.

In this new video, Miguel (CEO and Physio at Wellbeinn) explains in a super simple way the difference between red and infrared light. He tells you how to use it so it really works and why screens at night are ruining your sleep.

1. Red Light vs. Infrared: When to Use Each

Many people ask us why there are two types of lights in the panels. Miguel explains it very well in the video, the key is depth. Nanometers (nm) tell us how far each light wave reaches inside your body.

Red light works on the outer part (skin, marks, or wrinkles). But if what you’re looking for is relief for an inflamed knee or a tight muscle, what you need is infrared light. You can’t see it, but it has the ability to penetrate deeply to reduce inflammation from within.

2. The mistake when using it at home that makes it useless

Having a good red light panel is useless if you use it as a "light decoration." In the video, we discuss the most common mistake when using the panel.

Many people apply their moisturizer or serum and then sit in front of the light thinking it will enhance the effect. False. That cream acts like a mirror or filter, blocking photons before they reach your cells’ mitochondria.

3. How blue light blocks your melatonin

The problem with using your phone in bed is that the screen light tricks your brain. Since it is a cool light, your body thinks it’s still daytime and abruptly stops melatonin production. That’s why you turn off your phone, close your eyes, and your mind keeps racing, preventing you from falling asleep. 

But it’s not just about how long it takes you to fall asleep. Even if you finally crash from pure exhaustion, that prior exposure makes your rest much more shallow. Without entering deep sleep phase, the usual happens. The alarm goes off, you’ve been in bed about eight hours, but you wake up feeling like you haven’t rested at all.

4. Use red light and restore your rest

Red light does exactly the opposite. Since it has a tone that mimics a sunset, your body understands that the day is ending and relaxes naturally. Turning on your red light panel a little while before bed doesn’t stop your melatonin, it prepares you to sleep.

And what if you have to work late on the computer no matter what? That’s where blue light blocking glasses come in. They filter out that blue light from the screen so that, even if you keep working, your brain starts to slow down and you can fall asleep later.

"You can’t be stuck in front of a screen all day and then expect to sleep well. Red light isn’t magic, it just gives your body back the natural signal that it’s time to rest."

Miguel Ortín — CEO and Physiotherapist at Wellbeinn

Taking care of yourself isn’t complicated

I know how frustrating it is to wake up tired every day or live with that discomfort that never quite goes away. But as you’ve seen, sometimes it’s not about doing impossible routines, but about understanding what your body needs and taking care of the light around you. Spend a few minutes a day on yourself and you’ll see the change.

If you want to keep learning, subscribe to Wellbeinn University on YouTube. And if you think it’s time to try red light at home and see how it suits you, now is the best moment.