Sleep has something of a love/hate relationship with light.

It hates it when you’re trying to fall asleep and stay asleep but absolutely needs it to help wake you up in the morning.

Confusing? Absolutely.

Explanatory? You better believe it.

Something you can influence to your benefit?  Dang skippy.

Got Light?

The science behind light and how it affects sleep actually has a lot to do with your biology. The reason you don’t need (or want) light when you're trying to fall asleep is because darkness or an absence of light lets your body know that it’s time to produce melatonin.  In turn, melatonin makes you feel relaxed and sleepy, allowing you to drift off into dreamland.

Serotonin, the opposite of melatonin, is crucial to waking up and feeling refreshed. While melatonin is triggered by darkness, serotonin is triggered by light.  This cycle also helps us set our bedtime and risetime, which in turn helps keep us healthy.

But what if you're suffering from too little light?  In these dark winter months, daylight is a precious resource - and it's scarcity is enough to send any night owl or early bird into a sleep scheduling tizzy. 

Fiat Lux, Indeed

In the Zeo Webstore, we have two products that are excellent for waking up and getting your serotonin flowing.

The Litebook® Elite™ features a custom lens and diffusion system which, combined with the high-performance white LEDs, produces a uniform field of bright yet soothing light. 

It also boasts a a multiple-setting timer (15-30-45-60 minutes), a long-lasting built-in rechargeable lithium-ION battery with a charge indicator, and a compact design that makes it easy to transport.  Just set the timer, bask in the light that the Elite™ provides, and start feeling better.

Too good to be true? 

Hardly.

Just ask Derek@Zeo or Kuji@Zeo, they’re huge believers in light therapy.  Kuji@Zeo even has his plugged in at his desk, making sure that he keeps his body on track and his serotonin levels up.

Here Comes the Sun

As important as darkness is to getting a good night’s sleep, light is just as important to waking up and feeling ready to start the day.

Remember what I mentioned about how serotonin is activated by light and melatonin is activated by darkness?  The SunRise Clock™ works on that principle; it gradually brightens in the morning to get your serotonin flowing and it gives you an artificial sunset at night to get your melatonin going.

In effect, it's a modern zeitgeber for today's constantly illuminated world.

The clock also features a back-up audible alarm, snooze and nightlight options, a smart display that dims at night so it won't disturb your sleep, and your choice of 12- or 24-hour time read-outs.

On top of all of that, light therapy has been shown to help improve mood, especially for those who report feeling bummed out by all this darkness.  Since poor mood has been linked to poor sleep, improving one will help with the other. 

Give the Gift of Phenomenal Sleep

Both of these simple sleep solutions can be found in the Zeo Webstore.  As we mentioned, they've been tried, tested, and loved by us here at Zeo.  They both use established scientific principles to help give you natural ways to improve sleep, with little rearranging of your schedule or lifestyle.

Best of all, you don't even need a Zeo Mobile or a Zeo Bedside to reap the benefits.  They can be used by themselves to help you get a better life's sleep.

In short, they're great ways to give yourself, or someone you love, the gift of sleep.

It's also not too late.  Order by 2pm EST on December 22nd to get yours in time for Christmas.    

So this winter, let there be light.