"I Just Don't Feel Like Myself Anymore..."

The tiredness that sleep doesn't fix. The 3am wake-ups. The face in the mirror that looks as worn out as you feel. There's one cause almost nobody talks about, and a drug free way to give something back.

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It creeps up on you.

The energy that used to carry you through the day now runs out by lunch. Your moods have a mind of their own, and the woman you've always been feels slightly out of reach.

Here's something almost no one will tell you.

You're living in the poorest light environment in human history, and it's quietly working against you.

Stay with me, because there's real hope in this, and a simple thing you can do about it at home.

I've manufactured and sold red light therapy devices for nearly 10 years. I make them myself and I test every one with a spectrometer, so I don't deal in wishful thinking.

But I've got a lot of female clients in midlife who are starting to feel more like themselves again, and I want to show you how.

The Light You Evolved With Is Missing From Your Life

Step outside on a bright day and you somehow start to feel better. That's not a coincidence.

Sunlight isn't just the light you can see.

More than half of the sunlight that reaches you is infrared, an invisible wavelength that penetrates deep into your skin and tissue.

In the past, humans spent a lot more time outdoors and we got a lot more infrared light on a daily basis.

Your cells expect it. They have evolved to receive it on a daily basis.

Now think about your actual day.

You wake up indoors, you work indoors, and modern windows block almost all of that infrared before it reaches you.¹

Most of us spend around 85% of our waking hours inside.

This is the poorest light environment in human history, and you're living in it.

It matters more in midlife, not less.

As you move through your 40s and 50s the natural repair systems inside your cells start to slow down.

To make things even worse, when you're not getting enough infrared light to support them, it's no wonder so many women describe midlife as feeling 'like a shell of themselves'.

Red light therapy is one of the most powerful ways to give your body the kind of light it needs.

What Red Light Therapy Actually Is

It's simpler than it sounds.

You sit or stand in front of a panel that gives off red and near infrared light (roughly the 600 nm and 800 nm range), the same healthy wavelengths that pour out of the sun, for a few minutes a day.

No needles. No chemicals. Nothing to swallow. It's non invasive and drug free.

Scientists call this photobiomodulation, and photobiomodulation for menopause is simply that same idea aimed at the tiredness, the skin and the aches of midlife.

Here's how it works.

Inside almost every cell you have tiny power plants called mitochondria. They make your cellular energy, a molecule called ATP.

Research suggests red and near infrared light is absorbed by those mitochondria and may support how well they produce that energy.

And there's a second story that has scientists interested.

Melatonin is famous as the sleep hormone made in the pineal gland in your head.

But researchers have shown that our bodies also make melatonin outside the brain, in much larger quantities than in the head.

And that this melatonin acts as a powerful antioxidant, protecting and repairing your cells from the inside, all over your body.²

A leading theory is that near infrared light from the sun (and from red light therapy) is one of the signals that switches this daytime antioxidant on.

Some researchers have started calling it the hormone of daylight.

More infrared light, more natural antioxidants.

That's the promising research.

Now let me walk you through where it may help, and what the evidence is in each case.

 

 

Energy: The Kind of Tiredness Sleep Doesn't Help

You wake up already tired. By mid afternoon you're running on empty.

Which means every task costs more than it should. You start rationing your day, saying no to the walk, the friend, the thing you'd have said yes to a few years ago. Low energy doesn't just tire you out, it quietly shrinks your life.

This is the mitochondria story. If light helps your cells make energy more efficiently, the idea is that you feel less flat.

The research here is still early and much of it comes from studies on muscle and exercise rather than everyday midlife tiredness, so I won't oversell it.³

But here's where your face comes in.

In a placebo controlled trial, people who had near infrared light on their face, neck and hands reported feeling brighter and less drowsy.¹

That matches what I've seen for nearly 10 years.

My clients in the UK and the women in my red light therapy studio who use red light on their face and chest are the ones who most often tell me they feel more energised afterwards.

So don't just point the light at your body. Use it on your face and chest. That's where it seems to matter most for energy.

Mood: When Small Things Set You Off

Your patience is thin. You feel tearful or wound up over nothing, and it frightens you a little, because it doesn't feel like you.

Which means you start second guessing yourself, apologising for reactions you can't explain, pulling back from people because you can't predict your own mood.

The mood swings are hard enough. Not trusting yourself is harder.

Light and mood are deeply linked, and science has known it for years.

Bright morning light is a recognised way to lift low mood,⁴ and researchers have studied light for the mood changes of midlife women specifically.⁵

Near infrared light has even been applied to the forehead in people with depression and anxiety, including people with a history of addiction, with encouraging early results.⁶

And closer to home, that same facial near infrared trial found improved mood alongside the energy lift.¹

What women tell me is that a few minutes of red light on the face becomes a small daily moment that leaves them feeling calmer and brighter.

If your mood feels like more than the usual ups and downs, please speak to your doctor. This sits alongside proper care, never instead of it.

 

 

Sleep: Why the Colour of Your Evening Light Matters

You nod off, then you're wide awake at 3am. Or you never get down into deep sleep and wake feeling like you barely rested.

Which means the next day starts in a deficit before it's even begun.

And going to bed earlier doesn't fix it, because the problem isn't when you went to sleep. The problem is the quality of the rest once you're there.

This is where the melatonin story comes full circle.

Bright overhead lighting in the evening tells your brain it's still daytime and holds back the melatonin that helps you wind down.

Red light doesn't suppress melatonin the same way.

On top of that, the research above suggests near infrared light may support the melatonin your cells make as an antioxidant.² So red light is the rare kind of light that's kind to your evenings.

The evidence is starting to build. A 2026 review that pooled 5 controlled trials found red and near infrared light improved people's sleep quality scores compared to a placebo.⁷

In one trial, shift working nurses with poor sleep who used red and near infrared light reported better sleep than those who didn't.⁸

And in an earlier study, young women who had 14 nights of red light reported better sleep quality and higher melatonin levels than a placebo group.⁹

Women often build a few quiet minutes of red light into their evening as part of winding down, and they come to value the ritual as much as anything.

 

 

Aches & Pains: The Stiff, Creaky Mornings

Knees, hips, hands, shoulders. You get up and everything feels rusty.

Which means you move a little less to avoid the ache. And moving less makes the stiffness worse, so it feeds itself, until the walk you used to enjoy becomes the thing you had to give up.

Wavelengths in the 800s (near infrared) penetrate deep into your body to support joints and muscles, which is exactly why this area has been studied for years.

A large review in The Lancet found low level light therapy (LLLT, aka red light therapy) helped with neck pain.¹⁰

Two more recent reviews back this up. One looked at photobiomodulation for the most common muscle and joint pain conditions and found it reduced pain in most of the trials it reviewed.¹¹ The other, focused on knee osteoarthritis, found it lowered pain scores and improved function.¹²

What people report is that a few minutes on a stiff knee or shoulder becomes a comforting daily habit, and that they start reaching for it before they reach for anything else.

Skin: The Change You Can Actually See

Your skin looks different. Thinner, drier, less bouncy, with lines that weren't there last year.

Which means the mirror keeps telling you a story about age you don't feel on the inside, every single morning.

As oestrogen falls, collagen falls with it, and it shows before almost anything else does.

This is the strongest evidence of the 5, which is exactly why women love it.

Wavelengths in the 600s (red light) support surface level skin and eye care, reaching the layer where the collagen making cells live.

In a randomised controlled trial of 136 people, red and near infrared light produced a measurable increase in collagen density, checked by ultrasound, along with smoother skin and softer lines.¹³ Laboratory work backs up the same mechanism.¹⁴

And here's the best part. The face and chest, the same place you use it for that energy and mood boost, is also where the skin benefit shows most. One ritual, several reasons to love it.

What People Notice, and How Soon

Let me set your expectations, because this is where oversold products lose people.

Some things people report quite quickly.

With aches in particular, a number of customers describe feeling something after the first session or two.

Energy and mood tend to build over a few weeks of daily use rather than overnight.

And skin is the patient one. That takes weeks to months, because collagen simply doesn't rebuild in a hurry.

So there's usually something in the first week to encourage you, and there's more that rewards you for sticking with it. The women who feel the most from it are the ones who treat it like brushing their teeth, not like an occasional event.

Why This Panel, Not Just Any Light

There are a lot of cheap panels out there. Here's what makes ours different, in plain terms.

I make these myself and I test every one with a spectrometer, so the numbers on the box are the numbers coming out of the light.

My products contain between 2 and 5 wavelengths. Wavelengths in the 600s for surface skin and eyes and the 800s to reach deeper into joints and muscles, so one device does the whole job.

We've been trusted since 2017, with over 10,000 customers, and when you message us you get me or my team, not a call centre. That's the part a faceless marketplace panel can never give you.

What Real Customers Say

You don't have to take my word for any of this. Over 10,000 customers, trusted since 2017, and here's what some of them say in their own words.

Read all our reviews →

How You'd Actually Use It

There's no complicated protocol. It's this simple.

A few minutes a day, most days, with the light on bare skin.

Face and chest first, because that's where so many women feel the energy and mood lift and where the skin benefit shows.

Then the body, or a specific achy spot, held close for a few minutes.

Morning if you want a lift to start the day.

Evening if you want to wind down, because red light is kind to your melatonin.

Either works. Consistency beats intensity every time. Give it a few weeks and let it become a small daily habit rather than a chore.

Every device comes with detailed instructions.

My Promise to You

Here's my promise.

I'm not going to tell you light is the answer to menopause, because it isn't, and I won't insult you by pretending otherwise.

What I will tell you is that it's a low risk, drug free ritual that gives your skin back a slice of the sunlight modern life takes away. And I've watched a lot of women in midlife start to feel more like themselves.

I'll also take the risk, so you don't have to.

Every device comes with a 365 day trial, up to a 3 year guarantee, free UK and USA shipping, and free Zoom onboarding with every order so you're never left guessing. Use it every day for a year. If it isn't for you, send it back for a full refund.

Give yourself the light you've been missing →

Give it a few weeks and see how you feel. I think you'll be glad you did.

Red Light Rising products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Our products are low-risk, general wellness and fitness products only. If in doubt, always speak to a doctor first.

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References

1. Giménez MC, et al. Effects of near-infrared light on well-being in human subjects with mild sleep-related complaints: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study. Biology. 2023;12(1):60. View study
2. Tan DX, Reiter RJ, Zimmerman S, Hardeland R. Melatonin: both a messenger of darkness and a participant in the cellular actions of non-visible solar radiation of near infrared light. Biology. 2023;12(1):89. View study
3. Ferraresi C, Huang YY, Hamblin MR. Photobiomodulation in human muscle tissue: an advantage in sports performance? Journal of Biophotonics. 2016;9(11-12):1273-1299. View study
4. Lieverse R, et al. Bright light treatment in elderly patients with nonseasonal major depressive disorder: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2011;68(1):61-70. View study
5. Parry BL, et al. Sleep and light interventions for mood and sleep in perimenopausal women. Presented at the North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting, 2018 (abstract S-19). Conference presentation. Summary
6. Schiffer F, et al. Psychological benefits 2 and 4 weeks after a single treatment with near infrared light to the forehead: a pilot study of 10 patients with major depression and anxiety. Behavioral and Brain Functions. 2009;5:46. View study
7. de Azevedo WMV, et al. Photobiomodulation and sleep quality: systematic review and meta-analysis. Lasers in Medical Science. 2026;41:122. View study
8. The effectiveness of low-level LED light therapy for sleep problems, psychological symptoms, and heart rate variability in shift-work nurses: a randomised controlled trial. PMCID PMC12187440. View study
9. Zhao J, et al. Red light and the sleep quality and endurance performance of Chinese female basketball players. Journal of Athletic Training. 2012;47(6):673-678. View study
10. Chow RT, et al. Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. 2009;374(9705):1897-1908. View study
11. Low-intensity laser and LED (photobiomodulation therapy) for pain control of the most common musculoskeletal conditions. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2022;58(2):282-289. View study
12. Zhang Y, Ji Q. Current advances of photobiomodulation therapy in treating knee osteoarthritis. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 2023;11:1286025. View study
13. Wunsch A, Matuschka K. A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment in patient satisfaction, reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density increase. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery. 2014;32(2):93-100. View study
14. Barolet D, et al. Regulation of skin collagen metabolism in vitro using a pulsed 660 nm LED light source. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2009;129(12):2751-2759. View study