Room Light Before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin and Shortens Sleep Duration
Does Normal Room Lighting Before Bedtime Affect Your Sleep Hormones?
Yes, and the impact is more significant than most people realize. This controlled study found that exposure to typical room lighting (approximately 200 lux) before bedtime suppresses melatonin onset by 90 minutes and shortens the total duration of melatonin production by 90 minutes. Even this relatively modest light exposure—equivalent to a well-lit living room or bedroom—significantly disrupts the natural rise in melatonin that prepares your body for sleep, demonstrating that our modern lighting environments may be chronically interfering with healthy sleep preparation.