Light at night, light in the morning: getting the balance right

Morning light gets a lot of attention, but evening light matters too. Your body responds to contrast: darker evenings, brighter mornings and a routine it can recognise.

At night, dimmer light helps tell your brain the day is ending. That does not mean sitting in darkness at 7 pm. It means lowering harsh overhead light, keeping screens out of bed where possible, and giving yourself a wind-down cue.

In the morning, the opposite signal helps. A brighter room tells your body the day has started. A sunrise alarm brings that cue into the bedroom before you have even reached for the curtains.

The balance is the point. Softer evenings and brighter mornings are easier to repeat than an elaborate sleep routine, and repeatable is what usually sticks.