We all want to age well—feeling energetic, sharp, and healthy as the years go by.
But what if one of the keys to good health is something you might not even be thinking about?
One of the most overlooked factors in aging well and staying healthy is something you already do every day: syncing up with your body’s circadian rhythm.
That internal clock not only helps regulate sleep but affects nearly every aspect of health. And when it’s off—whether from too much artificial light, shift work, or just being cooped up indoors—it can throw your whole body out of balance.
Fortunately, new research is shedding light on how we can reset our circadian clocks… with a little help from nature’s color palette.
Blue and Orange Light: Nature’s Secret for Resetting Your Clock
In a small but exciting study, researchers from the University of Washington explored how different types of light affect circadian rhythms.
They found that a novel LED light, which alternates between blue and orange wavelengths, was most effective at advancing the production of melatonin, the hormone that signals your body it’s time to sleep.
This discovery is game-changing. Most of the lighting products we see today focus on blue light because of its known effects on melatonin production.
But this new research shows that the combination of blue and orange might be even more powerful—helping to reset the body’s clock and keep circadian rhythms in sync.
Your Circadian Rhythm Matters for More Than Just Sleep
While we often associate circadian rhythms with sleep, their influence goes far beyond that. An out-of-sync body clock can lead to a host of problems: mood disorders like seasonal affective disorder (SAD), chronic fatigue, metabolic issues, and even heart problems.
When your internal clock is in tune with the natural cycle of light and dark, it helps regulate hormone levels, boosts immune function, and keeps your energy up throughout the day.
And when it’s not? Well, that’s when you start feeling sluggish, out of sorts, and downright unhealthy.
How Light Therapy Can Help Sync Your Body Clock
In the study, researchers tested three types of light on participants to see how they affected melatonin production:
- A standard white light (the kind you’d find in an office)
- A blue LED light (designed to boost melatonin production)
- A new blue-orange LED light that alternates wavelengths to mimic the colors of the sky
The results? The alternating blue and orange LED outperformed the other lights by a mile.
Participants exposed to this light experienced a phase advance of 1 hour and 20 minutes in melatonin production, meaning their body clocks were reset much more effectively than with the other light sources.
Could Watching the Sunset Help Your Health?
So why blue and orange? The researchers think it’s because these are the colors we naturally associate with the sky at sunrise and sunset.
Your brain recognizes the alternating hues and responds by resetting your internal clock, just as it would if you were spending time outdoors.
This insight opens the door to new, non-invasive ways to help people who struggle with circadian rhythm disorders—from shift workers to those suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It also highlights how critical light exposure is to maintaining overall health.
Natural Ways to Support Your Circadian Rhythm
While this new light technology is promising, you don’t have to wait for a fancy device to start syncing up your body clock. Here are a few natural ways to support your circadian rhythm today:
- Get morning sunlight: Exposing yourself to natural light first thing in the morning helps kickstart your circadian rhythm and boosts your mood and energy levels for the day ahead.
- Limit screen time at night: Blue light from screens can interfere with melatonin production. Consider using blue-light-blocking glasses or avoiding screens for at least an hour before bed.
- Stick to a regular sleep schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day (even on weekends!) helps reinforce your body’s natural rhythm.
- Use light therapy for dark days: In the winter months, consider using a light therapy box that mimics natural sunlight to help regulate your internal clock and stave off the winter blues.
Circadian rhythms might not be top of mind when it comes to health, but keeping your body clock in check is essential for everything from mood to metabolism.
Whether through exposure to natural light or cutting-edge therapies like blue-orange light, there’s a lot you can do to help your body stay in sync with nature’s rhythms. It’s just one more way to keep aging well, one day at a time.
P.S. Is blue light STEALING your health? Learn more here.
Sources:
Scientists mix sky’s splendid hues to reset circadian clocks. (2024). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240916115544.htm
