The light box was originally designed to combat seasonal affective disorder, or seasonal depression. But it just so happens that people realized, Oh, this also really helps with circadian shifting. Being in this society where I have to function as an early person, the light box has helped me shift the timing of my circadian phase. That dose of bright light first thing in the morning is an extra-strong message to my brain: You’re supposed to be fully awake by now.
It also resets my internal clock so that I have an easier time falling asleep earlier in the evening and an easier time waking up earlier in the morning. My home office has a decently big window and my desk is right beside it, but it’s still not bright enough to give me the morning light exposure I need to maintain a “morning person” chronotype … even in summer. So I use my light box year round. I actually need the morning light-box session even more in the summer because the later sunset time is constantly tempting my circadian clock to slide.
I started using a sleep mask because we were living in a place that had a really bright streetlight right outside the bedroom window. I think most people don’t realize even a little bit of light can affect sleep quality. Now I bring my sleep mask everywhere. But if I’m traveling and I happen to not have a sleep mask, I actually go around the room and cover up all the little lights on appliances and whatnot with T-shirts. It really does make a difference. And that’s not just my personal experience — research has shown that even a few lux of light, less than candlelight level of light, can affect sleep. Even when your eyes are closed.
I’ve become dependent on my sleep mask because the feeling of it is so familiar to me. When I’m traveling, it’s the easiest way to bring a piece of my regular sleep environment with me, so no matter what bed or mattress I’m sleeping on, at least I have this mask that feels very snug and comfortable and signals the onset of sleep.
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I don’t know that it’s necessary or even feasible to be totally screen celibate nowadays. Let yourself have the distractions and comforts that you like, as long as it’s not too stimulating. The difference between falling asleep to an audiobook and scrolling TikTok before bed, for example, is that an audiobook is one source of sustained and kind of slow sensory input. It’s a story that you follow along in a prolonged, linear way. That is just engaging enough to get your mind off of your own stuff and have an enjoyable time falling asleep.
If you’re scrolling TikTok, it’s constantly changing. Sometimes even the emotional tone is changing so quickly. One video might be someone dancing; the next one might be political stuff happening on the streets that’s really distressing. One might be a tax tip; the next one might be a makeup tutorial. You’re switching gears so fast, and it is not relaxing or nurturing to your mind in a way that a linear narrative is. Plus there’s the visual stimulation aspect. For people who are really used to falling asleep to their phone or to their TV, I get it. It’s weird to suddenly try to lie in a room that’s totally dark and quiet. If you don’t like that, listen to an audiobook or a podcast. It’s the nice middle ground.
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