Using Color Temperature for Better Sleep

By Mario Esposito
Last Updated: June 24, 2019

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Light affects our sleeping patterns. Distinct aspects of it, like brightness or color, each have a big impact on how we sleep. Subsequently, we tend to see the widespread use of artificial light as problematic. Blazing LED lamps keep our surroundings bright well into the evening, and harsh screen back lights push our bedtimes back by hours.

But artificial light does have one thing going for it: We can tailor it to better suit our needs! Man made light fixtures can vary in size, brightness, and even color. Want to sleep better? You can choose better fixtures.

Brighter lights are worse for inducing sleepiness, obviously; but intensity shouldn’t be the only consideration when picking out your lights. Tint, for example, can be just as important—and when it comes to artificial lights, that means taking a closer look at the concept of color temperature.

What Is Color Temperature?

Color temperature refers to the quality of light. Specifically, it indicates the tint of the emitted light. Two bulbs may both emit “white” light, for example; but if they have different color temperatures, the feel of their emissions will not be the same.

A working light bulb will feel warm to the touch, but let’s be clear: that is not color temperature. In fact, the idea of color temperature has very little to do with how warm or cold a light fixture actually runs when used.

Bulbs with a color temperature in the lower range appear “warmer” to the eye, while those in the upper ranges give off light that looks “cooler.”

How Do We Measure Color Temperature?

Each color corresponds to a certain range of temperatures, which are measured using the Kelvin scale. This phenomenon is the basis for the measurement system called “correlated color temperature”—color temperature for short. 

Imagine, for a minute, a slab of a solid black material, like steel or iron. When that material is heated, it begins to glow. The color of that glow shifts as you ratchet up the heat. The block starts with a reddish glow; as you continue applying heat, that glow would move on to orange, and later, blue.

This might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but trust us. The color of your heated block of material will look “cooler” the hotter it is! Colors traditionally thought of as “warm” are actually “cool” when it comes to color temperature. This is even true for stars.

You can describe the tint of light using the temperature range that would produce the same color glow. You may ask: What range do we mean when we talk about color temperature?

Lone candlelight in darkness

What Is the Color Temperature Range?

When it comes to artificial lighting, bulbs and other sources typically have color temperatures somewhere in the 2000K – 8000K (Kelvin) range.

Below is a brief look at what common color temperature ratings mean, and what kind of effects you can expect from each.

  • < 2000K: Candlelight. In this range, light sources emit a warm, dim glow, like what you might get from a flame. The light itself is likely to be more diffuse, resulting in ambient illumination rather than the more “focused” beams of brighter sources.
  • 2000-300K: Incandescent Light. At this range, you can expect light to have yellowish tints and a soft, cozy feel overall. Lights in this range retain the “warm” feel of lower color temperatures but provide more focused and clear illumination.
  • 3000-3500K: Neutral Light. At this point, sources emit light that skews closer to a “pure white,” with only the slightest yellow tints. Illumination in this range appears brighter to the eye, inducing alertness without being too harsh.
  • 3600-4500K: Cool White Light. Sources in this range emit a starker white than neutral lights. They deliver more clarity, and the lack of warmer tints in the lighting makes it easier for the human eye to focus on smaller details in the environment.
  • 4600K-6500K: Bright White Light. Sunlight typically comes in at around 5800K on the color temperature scale. Lights in this range are closer to the “blue-tinted” light of daytime and also appear “brighter” to the eye, lacking the softening effect of warmer tints. They’re also harsher and likelier to induce eye fatigue. That said, bright white light also creates fewer shadows and makes for a better environment for tasks that require attention to detail and heightened alertness.
  • 6500K>: Clear Sunlight. At this point, light sources possess a more pronounced bluish tint, and they’re bright enough to occasionally mimic the glare of daylight on a clear, sunny day.

Color temperature range

How Do We Use Color Temperature for Better Sleep?

How can a deeper understanding of color temperature help you sleep better? It’s all about controlling the light that you are exposed to all day and all night—not just near bedtime hours.

1. Using Color Temperature in the Bedroom

For starters, color temperature gives you another good metric for picking lights to put in your bedroom. Most artificial lights today use LEDs, which skew closer to the blue end of the color temperature spectrum.

As you might have gleaned from our article on melanopsin, bluish light can have a negative impact on your sleeping patterns. In fact, studies have shown that exposure to lights with higher color temperatures (a bluer tint) can reduce the amount of time you spend in stage 4 or REM sleep.

For your bedroom, it’s better to install lights that give off a warmer tint and have a lower color temperature rating. This can be as simple as using incandescent bulbs, or LEDs that have been specifically designed to emit softer, warmer lighting.

Emagine A Auto Sensor Sleep Aid Night Light 2 Pack

On a budget? Giving warmer tint lights a shot in the bedroom can be as easy as using affordable night lights you can plug directly into a wall power outlet. You don’t need to change or adapt your existing fixtures! Here are some of our favorite options:

All three don’t block other sockets when you plug them in, plus they use long-lasting LEDs that emit red light. They also come with sensors that automatically turn on the product when it’s dark and off when it’s not.

We’ve got a few more tips about crafting a bedroom that’s designed and lit for better sleep, so be sure to check those out, too!

2. Using Color Temperature in the Home and the Workplace

Color temperature can also help you be more strategic in light fixture placement throughout your home, or even your workplace. After all, light’s regulatory influence on our circadian rhythms doesn’t begin and end at bedtime; our exposure throughout the day adds up.

If you spend a lot of time indoors or exposed to artificial light, you can use color temperature to design lighting environments that mimic the natural progression of daylight.

If you spend most of the day in your home office, you can install lights in the 3600-6500K range to simulate the effects of spending those same hours out in the sun. You can then use light sources with lower color temperatures for those areas where you tend to stay in the late afternoon or early evenings, like your living room or dining room.

Facelink 3D Magical Moon LED Night Light

A great way to ease in using color temperature cues in your daily life is to keep a portable lamp with multiple light settings. Use cooler tinted settings to help energize and wake you up, and warmer tinted settings to coincide with winding down for the day. Below are some affordable recommendations to start you off:

All three are rechargeable, wireless, and utilize touch sensor controls to brighten or dim the light source.

3. Using Color Temperature as a Guide for Managing Light Exposure

Even if you’re not inclined to overhaul your lighting installations or buy new products, color temperature can still serve as a good guide for managing your light exposure throughout the day. Modulating the influence of light on your sleeping patterns can be as simple as moving to spaces with more appropriate color temperatures as needed.

If you’re feeling sluggish and need a subtle boost, for example, you could relocate to a section of your workspace with brighter, more bluish lighting. Conversely, if you’re winding down for the day, you could turn off brighter light sources in your vicinity or switch over to a softer, warmer light.