Ensure your sleeping environment is completely dark (less than 3 lux), as even dim light exposure during sleep can disrupt autonomic nervous system function, increase nighttime heart rate, decrease heart rate variability, and increase next-morning insulin resistance.
If you must wake up in the middle of the night, use the minimum amount of light necessary to safely navigate, especially between 10 PM and 4 AM, to avoid plummeting melatonin levels and disrupting your body’s fundamental timekeeping signal.
Avoid exposure to artificial UVB light sources between 10 PM and 4 AM, and ideally from 8 PM, especially if you experience low mood, as this can reduce dopamine output and potentially worsen depression.
Seek daily sunlight exposure to your eyes and skin, even on cloudy days, as it provides significantly more beneficial light energy than indoor sources; avoid sunglasses, hats, and blue blockers during this time, and never look at light so bright it’s painful.
Expose as much skin as reasonably possible to midday sun (UVB light) for 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times per week, for several weeks, to increase testosterone and estrogen, enhance romantic passion, and improve fertility by activating a P53 pathway in skin cells.
To increase pain tolerance, aim for 20-30 minutes of UVB exposure (ideally from sunlight) to both your skin and eyes, two to three times per week, as this triggers the release of endogenous opioids.
Ensure sufficient UVB light exposure to both your eyes and skin to accelerate wound healing, promote faster hair and nail growth, and enhance skin cell turnover for a more youthful appearance.
During winter months, prioritize UVB light exposure (from sunlight or appropriate artificial sources) to enhance spleen function and activate the sympathetic nervous system, thereby boosting immune system readiness to combat infections.
For individuals 40 years or older, expose your eyes to red light (670 nanometers) for 1-3 minutes early in the day, a few times per week, to offset age-related vision loss by improving ATP production in retinal cells.
If you need light at night, use dim amber or red light sources, as these long wavelengths are less likely to inhibit melatonin production compared to short wavelength light, helping to maintain healthy sleep-related hormone levels.
When needing to stay awake late at night for shift work or other activities, use dim red light sources to promote alertness without disrupting melatonin production or increasing cortisol levels.
Apply red light and near-infrared light therapy to localized skin areas to reduce acne, diminish scars, improve skin quality, and remove unwanted pigmentation by enhancing mitochondrial function and reducing reactive oxygen species.
During winter months, if experiencing low mood or energy, use a SAD lamp or a 930-1000 lux LED lighting panel on your desk throughout the day to provide bright light exposure and improve mood.
Exercise extreme caution with melatonin supplementation, especially at the high doses found in most over-the-counter products, as it is a powerful hormone that can disrupt natural physiological rhythms and impact various bodily functions.
Consider taking an all-in-one vitamin, mineral, and probiotic drink like Athletic Greens once or twice a day to cover basic nutritional needs, address deficiencies, and support microbiome health, along with Vitamin D3K2 for overall brain, body, and cardiovascular function.
Dissolve one packet of Element (electrolytes without sugar) in 16-32 ounces of water first thing in the morning and during physical exercise to ensure proper hydration and electrolyte balance, which is critical for optimal brain and body function.
Utilize meditation apps like Waking Up for various meditation programs, mindfulness training, or Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) protocols to explore different brain states and restore cognitive and physical energy, even with short 10-minute sessions.
(Caution: This is preliminary research in clinical trials and may induce seizures in those prone to epilepsy.) Exposing eyes to 40 Hz flickering light may induce gamma oscillations in the brain, potentially reducing amyloid plaques and tau, and enhancing neuronal function to offset age-related cognitive decline.