Improve your sleep with 4 tips
Dark therapy is free and suitable for everyone
These days, there seems to be a therapy for almost everything. What’s wrong with us humans? Well – almost everything. That’s why we have sandplay therapy for people who struggle to communicate, rebirthing therapy for processing trauma, and snake massage therapy for relaxation and pain relief. Many of these approaches fall under the label “alternative,” even though some are proven effective. Scototherapy, or dark therapy, is not strange at all – it’s actually very logical and scientifically supported.
Welcome the Sandman
Dark therapy is a form of chronotherapy – a method to improve sleep. Since good sleep is essential for health, dark therapy is recommended for everyone, especially if you have trouble sleeping. It’s free, highly effective, and you can start tonight to improve your sleep and overall vitality.
Production of melatonin
Dark therapy aims to boost melatonin production. Here’s how it works: as soon as the sun sets and darkness arrives, a chain of molecular signals runs from the eyes to the pineal gland, stimulating melatonin production. Once melatonin is released in the brain and binds to neurons, electrical rhythms shift and body temperature drops, guiding the brain and body toward sleep.
Light pollution
Because we rarely experience full darkness nowadays, melatonin production is disrupted. Artificial light from lamps, computer screens, and phones prevents the body from realizing it’s evening. The blue light from these devices is the main culprit, as it breaks down and blocks melatonin.
If you stay behind your computer until 10, 11, or midnight with your phone by your side, you probably know the feeling of not being tired enough for bed. The next morning, you wake up exhausted.
Melatonin supplements are not enough
Just a flash of blue light lasting less than a second is enough to disturb melatonin production. That’s why taking melatonin supplements without reducing artificial blue light is ineffective.
With dark therapy, you gradually reduce blue light exposure as bedtime approaches. This way, melatonin production starts naturally and is not broken down.
How dark therapy works
- Install the f.lux program on your computer to filter out blue light
- Turn off bright lights and use candles, Himalayan salt lamps, or amber-colored lamps
- Wear blue-light blocking glasses after sunset
- Switch off your computer, TV, and phone earlier in the evening
The darker it is, the better it works. Check your bedroom for light sources and make it as dark as possible. To perfectly stimulate your circadian rhythm, you can combine dark therapy with light therapy in the morning: go outside immediately after waking up and look at the morning sky for a few minutes. Your body now knows the day has started, and all processes run optimally. This doesn’t work well through glass windows or glasses.
Combine with supplements
You can combine dark therapy with dietary supplements, medication, or other therapies for added effect. Over time, you may be able to reduce these – but always consult your doctor if you are taking medication.
Commonly used supplements are L-tryptophan and 5-HTP, which are direct precursors of serotonin and therefore melatonin. SAMe is a compound needed for the conversion of serotonin into melatonin. During times of stress, herbal preparations that help body and mind relax can also be very effective. Dream Release and Tension Release by MegaFood and L-Theanine by Doctor’s Best are our personal favorites.
