Is red light therapy better at night or in the morning?

:red_light: Andrew Huberman explains that red light therapy can be beneficial both in the morning and at night, each offering different advantages. In the morning, viewing red light can help improve mitochondrial function in retinal cells, which is beneficial for vision, especially in individuals over the age of 40 1. However, red light does not stimulate the wakefulness or hormonal signals like cortisol increase that sunlight does, making it less effective for fully activating wakefulness 2.

At night, red light is beneficial for those who need to stay awake, such as shift workers, because it does not significantly suppress melatonin or elevate cortisol levels. This non-intrusiveness makes red light a preferred lighting choice in late hours to maintain alertness without disrupting sleep hormones 3 4.

Thus, red light therapy can be effectively used both in the morning for vision support and later in the day or night to maintain alertness without disturbing sleep cycles.