Beyond the 'dark showering' trend these expert lighting tips will really
help you get a better night's sleep

Date:
Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Description:
Bathing with the lights down can help you relax before bed, but what other tricks can you use to nod off faster and sleep more soundly?

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This year, one of the biggest sleep trends is dark showering turning down
the lights while bathing in the evening to get your body and mind ready to rest. The idea isnt brand new, but as the seasons change and nights get shorter in the northern hemisphere, it makes sense that people are trying to optimize their bedtimes.

As the Guardian explains , the idea is to block out distractions, calm your nervous system, and practice mindfulness before bed. According to sleep scientists , it can have real benefits, with warm water reducing your core body temperature and low light signaling that its time to get ready to sleep, causing the release of melatonin. If you want to try dark showering (or bathing if you prefer the tub), smart lights are a good way to do it. You can schedule them to dim to help you get into a regular routine, and set the brightness so youre still safe in the bathroom. Article continues below You may like The 3 best smart light bulbs, recommended by a home tech editor I tried to improve my sleep using expert advice for 4 weeks and recorded it all on my Oura Ring and it worked I test smart lights for a living, and these
are my top 3 Philips Hue smart lights to brighten up any space Thats not the only way lighting can help you get a better nights rest, though. I asked an expert from Signify the company behind Philips Hue and WiZ smart lights for some recommendations to help you get more out of your smart lamps and bulbs
in the evening, and again in the morning when its time to rise and shine. If you're on a budget, the Beurer Wake Up Light WL50 is an affordable way to adjust the lighting to suit the time of day, and wake to a natural-looking sunrise (Image credit: Suzanne Baum) Light is one of the most important environmental signals influencing the bodys internal clock, also known as the circadian rhythm, said Signifys spokesperson. This biological system helps regulate sleepwake cycles and responds strongly to changes in light
throughout the day.

Exposure to brighter and cooler-toned light in the evening can delay the
bodys natural transition toward sleep, while lower light levels and warmer tones are generally associated with more relaxing environments before
bedtime.

Because of this, we recommend reducing brightness and using warmer light settings during the evening hours. These lighting conditions resemble the natural decrease in daylight after sunset and can help create a calmer atmosphere that supports bedtime routines. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Smart sunsets Ive tested a lot of sleep tech over the years, and Ive found wake-up lamps are particularly tricky to get right. Ideally, the light shouldnt wake you the moment it comes on; instead, it should brighten very gradually, like dawn through the canvas when youre camping.

In my experience, many of them simply cant dim low enough to wake me gently. Worse still are the lights with nature sounds that are looping snippets of audio usually only a few seconds long - that sound horribly compressed. Its not a great way to start the day.

If you're on a budget, the Beurer Wake Up Light WL50 is a good option. It offers a broad spectrum of light temperatures, meaning it can wake you with warm light that gradually brightens and then cools, and it dims lower than most other lights in its price bracket (under $100 / 70 / AU$150). What to read next IKEA's warm lighting will give your home a cosy glow, from 7 The best smart lights 2026: light up your life with smart bulbs and lamps Is your TV too dark? Here are 3 easy tips to fix it

I recommend skipping its wake-up noises, but it doubles as a radio and Bluetooth speaker, so you can connect it to your phone and wake up to your chosen music as a backup in case the light alone isn't enough to rouse you. The Philips Hue Wall Washer dims extremely low, and the 'Go to sleep' automation makes the color temperature warmer as it grows darker (Image credit: Future) The lamp thats working for me right now is the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer , which casts indirect light by shining onto a wall rather than directly into the room, and offers extremely low dimming. If you also want a light that can double as a reading lamp, the Philips Hue Twilight
could be the one for you. Its not quite as versatile as the Wall Washer (it cant be connected to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box and used as part of an entertainment system, for example), but it provides you with focused white light that lets you enjoy a few pages of your favorite book before turning in for the night.

The Philips Hue app provides sunrise and sunset automations that can be triggered at a specific time or upon a particular event. I wake up at the
same time most days, so the sunrise is on a timer, but bedtimes can vary, so the Go to sleep automation is triggered by a smart switch attached to my bedside table.

By allowing Philips Hue users to schedule gradual light transitions in the evening and morning, the system helps create consistent daily lighting routines that align more closely with natural light patterns, explains Signifys spokesperson.

If you want to get creative with your lighting, Google Home and Alexa+ let
you describe the type of lighting you want using natural language so you could ask for soft evening light, or a dim glow for your night time shower routine, whichever smart lights you own. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. Today's best wake up light deals Beurer Wake Up Light WL50 76.99 38.39 View See all prices Philips Hue Play Wall Washer 169.99 View See all prices Philips Hue Twilight 249.99 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-lights/beyond-the-dark-showering-trend-th ese-expert-lighting-tips-will-really-help-you-get-a-better-nights-sleep


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