Sunlight, Screens & Sleep: Why Your Evening Light Habits Matter More In The Winter

Summary 

Shorter winter days and heavier screen use can throw off your circadian rhythm, making it harder to feel alert in the morning and wind down at night. By understanding how light shapes your sleep cycle — and building healthier light habits — you can reclaim deeper, more consistent rest this season.

Winter has a way of reshaping your evenings. The sun sets early, the screens stay on longer, and your body feels a little out of sync. If you’ve been waking up groggy or struggling to wind down at night, you’re not alone. Light is one of the strongest signals your brain relies on to know when to feel alert and when to rest, and this season can throw those cues way off. 

The good news? With a few thoughtful shifts to your light habits, you can support your circadian rhythm and make winter sleep feel more restorative and consistent. Below, learn how light impacts your circadian rhythm, and how smart lighting on your Hatch Restore can help you get better sleep all winter long.

Table of contents

1. How Light Affects Your Circadian Rhythm
2. Why Light Hygiene is Essential in Winter
3. How Hatch Restore Supports Healthy Light Habits for Better Sleep
4. Key Takeaways
5. FAQs
6. References 

How Light Affects Your Circadian Rhythm

Your circadian rhythm is reliant on light as an external cue to drive physiological processes that give you energy and prepare you for rest (along with regulating your sleep-wake cycle as a whole). Morning sunlight exposure helps your body release cortisol, the hormone that gives you energy for the day. As light dwindles in the evening, your body starts to release melatonin, which helps you fall asleep. 

Your daily routines can play a big role in how your circadian rhythm functions (exactly why experts recommend using light as a cue — think morning sunlight exposure and less blue light from screens at night). In winter, shorter days mean less sunlight, which can disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it hard to fall and stay asleep. 

The Impact of Screens on Sleep Quality 

Many of us spend more time on screens during the isolating winter months, which can confuse the brain’s sleep clock. Evening screen use exposes you to blue-wavelength light — often referred to as blue light sleep disruption — which suppresses melatonin and makes it harder for your brain to shift into rest mode. Further, doomscrolling can activate your brain when it’s time to wind down, which can make it hard to relax for rest.

Why Light Hygiene is Essential in Winter 

When the days are shorter and light is scant, any extra steps you can take to prioritize light hygiene can help you get better sleep. What, exactly, is light hygiene? Basically, anything you can do to balance your circadian rhythm with light — getting morning light exposure by going outside in the morning, dimming the lights as night approaches, and reducing screen time before bed. 

These consistent cues help regulate melatonin production, support smoother wake–sleep transitions, and counteract the disruption that winter darkness and evening screen light can create.

How Hatch Restore Supports Healthy Light Habits for Better Sleep

You may not be able to control daylight hours in the winter months, but you can control your light environment — and Hatch Restore can help.

Morning Sunrise Cues 

Dark winter mornings can leave your internal clock feeling confused, making it harder to wake up with energy. Hatch Restore’s Sunrise Alarm mimics the gradual brightness of natural morning light — shifting from soft amber to gentle golden tones — to help cue your brain that it’s time to rise. 

This slow, soothing light progression supports cortisol’s natural morning peak, helping you feel more alert without the shock of a loud alarm. It’s a calmer, more biologically aligned way to start the day, especially when sunlight is scarce.

Sunset Dimming

Evenings are when your body naturally wants melatonin to rise, but bright indoor lighting and screens can mute those cues. Hatch Restore’s sunset light feature transitions your space into warm, low light that gently signals your brain to wind down. 

As the light fades slowly — like an actual sunset — your nervous system relaxes, your body starts to release melatonin, gently coaxing you toward rest. 

Phone-free Routines

While looking at your phone can keep your brain active and alert, relaxing sleep routines help your body wind down and relax. Hatch Restore makes it easy to create phone-free routines you’ll actually stick with. 

Set a nightly Unwind Routine that automatically plays soothing light and audio, from relaxing meditations to fun podcasts and adult bedtime stories (no phone needed). You can also set a Goodnight, Phone cue that reminds you when it’s time to put away your phone for the evening, so your body can start to shift gears toward rest. 

With gentle cues that guide you from day to night, Restore helps you build an evening rhythm that feels calming, consistent, and aligned with your natural sleep needs — especially during the darker winter months. It’s a small shift that can make a big difference in how rested you feel.

Key Takeaways

• Light is one of the strongest regulators of your circadian rhythm, and winter’s darker days make intentional light habits more important than ever.
• Reducing blue-light exposure at night and adding warm, gentle light cues can support natural melatonin release and smoother wind-down.
• Hatch Restore helps you build healthier light hygiene with sunrise simulations, warm evening lighting, and phone-free routines that support deeper, more restorative winter sleep.

Take control of your light environment this winter. Explore Hatch Restore and build calmer evenings, brighter mornings, and screen-free routines that support your best sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do dark winter mornings make waking up feel harder than usual?

Dark mornings delay the natural rise in cortisol, the hormone that helps you feel alert after sleep. Without bright light to “start the clock,” your brain stays in a semi-drowsy state longer, making mornings feel heavier and slower. Using a sunrise simulation or early light exposure can help jump-start that wake-up signal.

Can evening screen use affect mood as well as sleep?

Yes. Blue light and stimulating content can both impact how your brain winds down at night. Bright screens suppress melatonin, while the emotional or cognitive stimulation from scrolling keeps your mind active, a combo that can lead to irritability or low mood the next day. Gentle evening lighting plus screen-free wind-down rituals help support both sleep and emotional balance.

Does indoor lighting during winter make a difference for sleep quality?

Absolutely. Many indoor bulbs emit bright white or cool-toned light that mimics daylight, which is great during the day, but too activating at night. Switching to warm, amber lighting in the evenings helps your brain recognize it’s time to slow down and supports a smoother transition into melatonin release.

References

1. Roenneberg, T., Wirz-Justice, A., & Merrow, M. (2003). Life between Clocks: Daily Temporal Patterns of Human Chronotypes. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 18(1), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730402239679
2. Blume, C., Garbazza, C., & Spitschan, M. (2019). Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Somnologie : Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin = Somnology : sleep research and sleep medicine, 23(3), 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x