Lights, Insomnia, and Natural Melatonin

Summary (TLDR): Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body that helps you go to sleep. Having bright lights on at night prevents your body from producing melatonin and can make it harder to fall asleep. The good news is that under normal conditions, the body produces melatonin automatically when there is reduced light in the evening hours. It is important to remember that there are many factors that impact sleep and melatonin production is only one. If you think you may have insomnia, feel free to reach out for a free consultation. You can also start the conversation by talking to your primary care doctor. 

What is melatonin?

You may have heard about a natural sleep supplement called melatonin. You may have even tried taking melatonin in the past with mixed results. Melatonin is manufactured artificially but it is something our bodies produce naturally in response to dim light.

Why does light impact melatonin production?

We sleep best when it is dark because humans are diurnal (the opposite of nocturnal). This means that under normal conditions humans are alert and active during the day and asleep or resting at night. These patterns are regulated by light (mostly the sun). 

Humans have lived for most of our existence with only natural light. It is only in the last 100 years that indoor electric light became a common household experience.

Our sleep regulatory system is built for natural light and is very confused by artificial light, especially blue light. 

What does all this have to do with sleep?

You may have seen blue light filtering glasses, or “night mode” settings on your phone or recommendations to cut screen time at night. All of this is because exposure to light, especially blue light, suppresses natural melatonin production which makes it harder to fall asleep. 

There are individual differences between people when it comes to the impact of light. Some people are especially sensitive to light and light sensitivity changes as we age. 

It is important to note that there are many factors that impact sleep and cutting your screen time and light exposure at night is a good step, but it often doesn’t correct the problem alone.

CBT-I is a sleep program that is recommended as the first line treatment for insomnia. In CBT-I we start with a thorough assessment and work to identify your specific sleep needs and make strategic customized changes to improve your sleep.  Learn more on the CBT-I page or schedule a free consultation. You can also talk with your doctor about CBT-I.