Night lighting, done properly

One last light before the dark.

Then, finally: rest.

A red night light for the moment you wake at 3am. Warm enough to see by. Gentle enough that you'll actually fall back asleep.

The light you turn on at night is working against you.
The problem

The light you turn on at night is working against you.

Every standard lamp, phone screen and overhead bulb throws white and blue-spectrum light. Your brain reads that as daytime. Melatonin production shuts down within minutes. You were up for two minutes. Now you're awake for two hours.

Red wavelengths don't trigger those receptors. So you see what you're doing, sort it, and go back to sleep instead of staring at the ceiling.

670nm · blue-light-free
Why red

The stillness of a sunset, indoors, at 3am.

Sunset. Firelight. Embers. For most of human history that was the light we wound down under, until overhead bulbs and phone screens taught the brain to stay switched on. Driftback puts the old light back in the room. Warm enough to see by. As far as your brain is concerned, still night.

What happens when you switch it on.

1

Red wavelengths only

Driftback emits long-wavelength red light. The part of the spectrum your brain reads as daytime never arrives.

2

Melatonin stays intact

No blue signal means your brain keeps producing melatonin. The chemistry of sleep carries on in the background.

3

You fall back asleep

The feed, the nappy, the glass of water. Done. You lie down and drift back instead of staring at the ceiling.

Notes for the small hours.

Short, useful notes on light, sleep and getting through the night. Plus first word on anything new.