Summer never seems to last quite long enough.
Then suddenly you're finishing work in the dark, outdoor workouts require considerably more motivation and the sofa starts looking much more appealing.
The end of British Summer Time makes the seasonal change particularly noticeable.
In 2026, the UK clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, marking the return to Greenwich Mean Time and bringing noticeably earlier evenings.
If your usual health and wellness routine tends to disappear alongside the summer weather, now is a good time to prepare.
Why does our routine change during autumn and winter?
British autumn means:
Less daylight. Colder temperatures. Darker evenings. More time indoors.
Even if your goals haven't changed, the environment around you has. Summer evening walks become less appealing. Outdoor training can move indoors and activities that felt effortless in June suddenly require considerably more motivation in November.
Rather than fighting the seasons, it can help to create a routine designed specifically for them.
Make light part of your winter routine - light has a significant influence on our everyday routines. During summer, getting natural light doesn't require much thought. In winter, many of us travel to work in low light, spend the day indoors and return home after sunset.
So your first priority should still be simple: Get natural daylight where you can.
Red light therapy does not replace sunlight or outdoor daylight exposure.
Instead, it can provide a separate, controlled form of red and near-infrared light exposure that can be used conveniently at home throughout the year.
What is red light therapy?
Red light therapy is a form of photobiomodulation, often shortened to PBM.
It involves exposing the body to specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light.
Common wavelengths found within modern PBM devices include visible red light around 630nm and 660nm and near-infrared wavelengths such as 810nm and 850nm.
These wavelengths interact differently with biological tissue, which is why many modern panels combine several wavelengths in one device.
Why is winter a good time to build a red light therapy habit?
Not because red light therapy suddenly works differently in December.
The advantage is routine.
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A home red light therapy panel doesn't depend on:
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warm weather
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daylight
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travelling to an appointment
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an outdoor space
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the gym being open
That can make it particularly easy to incorporate into the parts of the year when we're spending considerably more time at home.
You might use a panel:
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after an indoor workout
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before starting your evening
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as part of a recovery routine
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while listening to music or a podcast
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at a consistent point within your morning or evening schedule
When something is easy to repeat, it's far more likely to become a habit.
Red light therapy and winter workouts
If you train regularly, winter doesn't necessarily mean stopping.
But your routine may change.
Running might move onto a treadmill.
Cycling might move indoors.
Football training gets colder.
Gym sessions replace outdoor activity.
Photo biomodulation has attracted research interest around exercise, muscle function and recovery.
Some systematic reviews have reported potential benefits for particular muscle-performance and recovery outcomes, although results depend significantly on the wavelength, dose, timing and type of activity.
That means red light therapy is better viewed as part of a recovery routine, rather than as a shortcut that replaces proper training, sleep or nutrition.
A typical winter recovery routine could be:
Workout - hydration - food - red light session - wind-down - sleep
Simple, repeatable routines are usually easier to maintain than trying ten different recovery methods at once.
Red light therapy during darker evenings
Earlier sunsets can also give you an obvious trigger for an evening wellness routine.
Instead of moving straight from your laptop to your phone to your television, you might designate a short period after work to switch gears.
For example:
6:00pm: Finish work
6:15pm: Workout or walk
7:00pm: Dinner
8:00pm: Red light therapy session
8:15pm: Shower and relax
9:30pm: Reduce screens and begin winding down
Of course, there's no universal perfect schedule.
The point is that your panel can become associated with a specific part of your routine.
Can red light therapy help with winter sleep?
This is an area where it's important not to exaggerate the evidence.
Photobiomodulation is being researched in relation to sleep.
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2026 analysed five randomised controlled trials involving 240 participants and found an improvement in sleep-quality scores compared with sham treatment. However, the researchers described the evidence as limited and called for larger and more standardised studies.
So while you may decide to incorporate a red light session into your evening wellness routine, it shouldn't be described as a guaranteed cure for insomnia or other sleep disorders.
Good sleep habits still matter.
The NHS recommends maintaining regular sleeping hours, creating a dark and quiet sleeping environment and reducing screen exposure close to bedtime.
Does red light therapy give you vitamin D?
No.
This is an especially useful distinction during winter.
Your skin produces vitamin D in response to UVB radiation from sunlight.
Red and near-infrared light therapy devices don't produce the same UVB exposure and therefore shouldn't be used as a substitute for vitamin D.
Red light therapy and vitamin D are completely different subjects, even though both can come up when people start thinking about reduced winter sunlight.
Is red light therapy the same as a SAD lamp?
No.
A SAD lamp generally uses very bright visible light and is designed around a different mechanism.
Red light therapy devices use targeted red and near-infrared wavelengths as part of photobiomodulation.
A Red Light Pro panel therefore shouldn't be described as a substitute for prescribed or recommended treatment for seasonal affective disorder.
Choosing a red light panel for winter home use
If you're considering buying a panel for home, start with the way you intend to use it.
For targeted sessions, a smaller panel can work well when you mainly want to expose a particular area.
It also takes up less room and may be easier to incorporate into a bedroom, home office or home gym.
For broader coverage, a larger panel exposes more of the body simultaneously, which can be useful if you regularly use red light therapy as part of a full-body wellness or exercise routine.
For versatility, look at the wavelength specification.
A multi-wavelength device combining visible red and near-infrared wavelengths can provide greater versatility than a device built around only one wavelength.
Internal link: How to Choose a Red Light Therapy Panel: UK Buying Guide.
Your simple autumn and winter wellness checklist
When the weather changes, don't make your routine unnecessarily complicated.
Focus on the basics:
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Get outside during daylight when possible.
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Keep moving throughout the week.
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Maintain consistent sleeping hours.
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Prioritise nutrition and hydration.
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Reduce unnecessary bright-screen exposure late at night.
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Create time to genuinely relax.
Use your red light therapy device consistently and according to its instructions. The goal isn't to recreate summer indoors. It's to create a routine that still works when it's cold, dark and raining outside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is red light therapy more useful in winter?
Red light therapy doesn't only work during winter. However, because it can be used indoors at home regardless of daylight or weather, some people find autumn and winter an especially convenient time to build it into their routine.
Does red light therapy replace sunlight?
No. Red light therapy uses specific red and near-infrared wavelengths and shouldn't be viewed as a replacement for natural daylight.
Does red light therapy provide vitamin D?
No. Vitamin D production in skin is associated with UVB exposure. Standard red and near-infrared therapy devices do not provide this.
Is red light therapy the same as a SAD lamp?
No. Conventional bright-light therapy and red/near-infrared photobiomodulation are different approaches.
Can I use red light therapy every day in winter?
Usage recommendations depend on the individual device. Follow the manufacturer's guidance concerning session time, distance and frequency rather than simply increasing usage because it's winter.
Can I use red light therapy after exercising?
Red and near-infrared photo biomodulation has been researched in relation to exercise and recovery, and many users incorporate a panel into their post-workout routine.
Don't let your wellness routine disappear with summer
Shorter days don't have to mean putting your health and fitness routines on hold until spring.
A simple home setup can make looking after yourself easier throughout autumn and winter.
Explore Red Light Pro's range of red and near-infrared light therapy panels and devices and find a setup that fits your space and routine.
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