Curious to try one for yourself? Here’s where to find them, how to set them up, and how sleep and circadian researchers recommend using them for a sunnier disposition. Scroll through TikTok or Instagram and you’ll get a sense of all the ways you can use these colorful lights—from setting a funky tone for photoshoots to replacing standard mood lighting. In addition to sunset tones, some lamps can also be programmed to display different color schemes. This is due to the way that light helps train our all-important circadian rhythms. To keep these internal clocks running smoothly, we should surround ourselves with bright light in the morning and darkness at night, as we would in nature. Jamie Zeitzer, Ph.D., an associate professor of sleep medicine at Stanford University, agrees that lamps like these may be helpful for sleep in some contexts. He adds, however, that sunset is far from the most important time of the day from a circadian perspective. “Morning light is more of the anchoring light in terms of keeping your circadian system aligned,” Zeitzer says, so ultimately the best thing you can do to train your rhythm is get outside (or at least look out a bright window) first thing in the morning. While Zeitzer notes that a sunset projector lamp alone probably won’t have too big of an impact on your sleep body clock, if it reminds you to dim the rest of your lights and begin the wind-down process, it will be a health investment well spent. Grandner adds that if your lamp comes with multiple color options, you can switch to its bright white-, blue-, or green-enriched hues in the morning, “since they send a ‘daytime’ signal to your brain. That signal, when received early in the day, can help wake you up, increase daytime energy, and even improve mood during the day.” LEFUYAN Sunset Projection Led Light ($10.99) Nellsi Sunset Lamp Projection ($17.99) Govee Smart LED RGBWW Table Lamp ($69.99) Nordic Peace Golden Hour Sunset Lamp ($29) Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
