Best LED Color for Sleep: Is It Red, White, or Blue?

FACTS CHECKED BY  Bob Smith

When it comes to your bedroom, you want it to be a place of relaxation, comfort, and tranquility. The colors you choose for your room can help support this goal by creating a relaxing environment.

The right light color can help you sleep faster and achieve more restful sleep. Bad lighting, however, can mess with your circadian rhythms, affect the hormones that help you sleep and even cause insomnia.

Are you interested to know the best-LED color for sleep?

This guide pulls together information to help you understand what to look for and which LEDs are worth purchasing. 

What Is Color Temperature?

Diagram of the light temperature in Kelvins

Diagram of the light temperature in Kelvins

Color temperature refers to the hue and intensity of the light we encounter daily. It is measured using Kelvin (K) on a scale of 1,000K to 10,000K. 

Different color temperatures produce different feelings and appearances of light. Here is an illustration showing different color temperatures and their light appearance. 

Kelvin color temperatures of different light sources

Kelvin color temperatures of different light sources

What LED Light Colors Help You Sleep?

Halogen LED light lamps.

Halogen LED light lamps.

There’s a lot of research on the impact of light on sleep and mood. It’s one of the most studied topics in circadian rhythm.

Suppose you’re looking for the best-LED color for sleep. In that case, you should strongly consider the following:

Red Light

red light therapy

The red light therapy

Red light is a rich color that can help you sleep better. It allows the body to produce melatonin, which controls your sleep cycle. Red also lets you eliminate negative thoughts, making you feel calmer and more relaxed.

Red light has a low energy level and is the easiest color to filter out with the eye’s lens. If you’re looking for a relaxing nightlight or a way to help you nod off quickly, red light is your best bet.

Yellow Lights

lamp lighting with warm yellow light

lamp lighting with warm yellow light

Yellow light is very similar to white light in brightness, but it’s closer to red in terms of its effect on melatonin production. This means that yellow light has the potential to help regulate your sleep cycle more effectively than white or blue light.

Yellow light is also the color of sunshine and is an excellent color to use in your bedroom at night. This is because when the sun sets, it produces a yellow-orange hue. This signals your brain that it’s time to sleep.

The Orange Lights

Orange small sleeping lamp

The small orange sleeping lamp

Orange light, in our opinion, is even better because it’s between red and yellow on the color spectrum — it’s still warm enough to help you relax but not so friendly that it keeps you awake by stimulating your brain.

Pink Lights

Has a calming effect on the body, slowing down brain waves and helping us to fall asleep faster. Pink light is also a great relaxing color. It is the perfect color for a child’s room. It gives it that fairy tale look but also a calming feeling.

Pink light lamp

Pink light lamp

Green Lights

Green is considered a calming color that enhances wakefulness. It is common for professional gamers to use green to help them concentrate during intensive streaming sessions and important competitions. 

Green penetrates darkness better than any other color, making it ideal for dark work settings that require concentration. If you’re looking for a change of color, green may be your go-to.

A small green LED

A small green LED

What Is The Worst LED Color Light for Sleep?

One thing that we know for sure is that blue light is terrible for sleep. According to WebMD,  blue light suppresses melatonin production, a hormone that makes you fall asleep every night. 

Your body needs about 30 minutes of darkness each night to produce melatonin. Blue light, more than any other color, makes it harder for your body to prepare for sleep because it blocks melatonin production.

What Are the Most Relaxing Light Colors?

Modern living room with colored led light

Modern living room with colored led light

Red, yellow, and orange are the most relaxing light colors.

Red is said to be the most relaxing color because it is known to have a calming effect and promotes restful sleep.

Yellow is very close to red in the visible light spectrum color, which also helps us fall asleep. 

Orange light, in our opinion, is a mix between red and yellow on the color spectrum and a better option. It’s still warm enough to help you relax but not so friendly that it keeps you awake by stimulating your brain.

How Does Light Color Help You With Sleep?

Woman sleeping in a bed

Women sleeping in a bed

To help you get a good night’s sleep, the color of your bedroom light matters. One of the most critical factors in setting up your bedroom for optimal rest is determining which light colors will help you relax and fall asleep faster.

The science behind this is simple: Our brains are hardwired to respond to different wavelengths of light and darkness. Blue light helps us stay alert, while orange, yellow, and red hues help us feel sleepy.

Summary

a colorful night LED lamp

a colorful night LED lamp

Light can be a powerful tool for improving sleep. The right type of light at the right time can help you fall asleep faster, avoid waking up in the middle of the night, and feel more rested when you wake up.

In summary, red or orange lights are your best options to relax and fall asleep. Blue light is the worst kind of light because it suppresses melatonin production.

We hope this article was helpful and if you have any questions about LED lights, feel free to contact us or leave a comment below.

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