I admit to making this mistake (but why I won't anymore)...

I'm sure you have heard me talk a million times about the light from your phone screen first thing in the morning; how that can disrupt cortisol and hormone balance for the entire day......and you have probably also heard me say to keep your phone screen on red. (free guide on this)

However - I've noticed many clients (and myself 🫣) - take the "red phone screen" as an excuse to bring the phone outside with them in the morning.....and then accidentally check emails - social media...etc

I want to share some interesting information on brainwaves & metabolism (beyond light) - keep reading!

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What happens when you look at your phone during sunrise (even if it's on red...)

Your brain doesn’t leap out of sleep in full wakefulness - it transitions.

Upon waking, your brain naturally enters a theta- alpha state (4–12 Hz). This isn’t just a “calm” zone - it’s a neurophysiological gearshift that:

• Regulates emotional tone
• Enhances memory and neuroplasticity
• Allows smooth entrainment of your circadian clock via natural light

​Click here to read my article on nature - alpha waves & why you feel calmer outside ​

Many people run straight to their phones or computers - turn on the TV & overhead lights - and miss this critical window that is a powerful time for intention setting & emotional regulation.

What happens when your first light & stimulation is a screen (even if it's on red) ?

Instead of allowing theta → alpha → beta to unfold in sync with sunlight, you introduce task-based mental stimulation from your phone.

This forces the brain into high-beta activity (18–30+ Hz) - a frequency associated with:

• Anxiety
• Hypervigilance
• Cognitive inflexibility
• Premature cortisol spikes

What you just short-circuited by skipping over a smooth transition

Theta and Alpha → Memory Encoding & Emotional Regulation

• These frequencies support hippocampal activity, limbic integration, and emotional context setting.
• This is when your brain processes dreams and “updates” the nervous system before daily demands.

Citation: Cantero JL et al., Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2002 - Theta–alpha oscillations in early morning support hippocampal–cortical coordination for memory and adaptation.

Citation: Klimesch W., Brain Res Rev, 1999- Alpha rhythms regulate access to long-term memory and determine readiness for complex cognitive tasks.
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Mitochondrial Dysregulation via Early High Beta

• Stress-induced high-beta frequencies raise intracellular calcium, which activates glutamate signaling and can increase mitochondrial oxidative stress.

Citation: Picard M et al., Cell Metabolism, 2018 - Psychological stress and circadian misalignment impair mitochondrial respiration and ATP production, increasing ROS and inflammation.

Disrupted Leptin & Appetite Signaling

• The leptin - melanocortin system depends on circadian cues from the SCN and proper dopamine signaling (this can absolutely be disrupted by "social cues" - such as emails & social media)
• High-beta states interfere with dopamine tone and leptin sensitivity - leading to poor hunger regulation and cravings later in the day.

Citation: Krashes MJ et al., Cell, 2016 - The arcuate nucleus integrates light and energy signals via leptin and dopamine inputs, affecting feeding and reward-seeking behavior.

When you look at your phone in the morning - (even if it's on red & even if you are outside) - you potentially enter the day emotionally raw, hormonally imbalanced, and neurologically desynchronized from your environment.

The double whammy: Looking at your phone on full blue and skipping sunrise altogether:

Melatonin Clearance + Cortisol Entrapment

• At sunrise, the SCN receives full-spectrum light via melanopsin cells in the retina → which signals melatonin degradation and a controlled cortisol rise.
• If you’re indoors or looking at a phone on full blue instead, you disrupt this precise hormonal choreography.

Citation: Gooley JJ et al., PNAS, 2011- Early blue light without prior natural sunrise delays melatonin offset and alters cortisol timing.

Citation: Scheer FAJL et al., Endocr Rev, 2009- Cortisol is a circadian zeitgeber (time cue) for peripheral clocks - mistimed cortisol alters insulin, thyroid, and leptin rhythms downstream.

What to do instead?​​

What to do instead.....(and remember consistency over perfection)

Delay Screen Use 30–60 Minutes After Waking

Screens emit intense short-wavelength blue light (460-480 nm) which mimics solar noon, not sunrise. Early exposure prematurely activates high-beta brainwaves (18–30+ Hz) and cortisol spikes.

How this impacts you on a deeper level:

• Upon waking, the brain is naturally in a theta-alpha state (4- 12 Hz), ideal for emotional regulation, creativity, and hippocampal processing.
• Premature exposure to artificial light and cognitive demands triggers high-frequency cortical activity and elevates noradrenaline and cortisol.
• This can actually cause over activation of the default mode network (DMN) and task-positive networks, creating a fragmented attention pattern for the rest of the day.

Citation: Cajochen et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2000- Blue-enriched light increases alertness and beta activity — but when misused, can disrupt melatonin and cortisol rhythms.

Citation: Klimesch W., Brain Res Rev, 1999 - Alpha rhythm suppresses task-irrelevant information; early disruption impairs focus and memory later in the day.

Step Outside for 5–10 (or more) Minutes of Unfiltered Light

Natural light contains a full spectrum - including near-infrared (NIR) & just the right amount of blue light to gently raise cortisol, activate the SCN (the "time clock" in your brain that gives instructions to the rest of your body), and triggers a gradual & slow transition into healthy beta waves (13-20 Hz) for productivity.

Use This Time for Stillness, Breath, or Gentle Movement when possible

Stillness and mindful breath extend the alpha state (~8–12 Hz), enhancing neuroplasticity, memory consolidation, and parasympathetic tone before the day ramps up.

• Meditation, breathwork, and slow movement practices like tai chi or walking outdoors increase frontal-midline theta and parietal alpha activity.
• If you have kids - do your best to bring them with you outside - involve them, and keep the house as calm as you can (trust me I understand this can be a challenge - but its a worthy effort)
• ​Red light therapy (code sarah20) AFTER sunrise time outdoors can also help support parasympathetic activity

Citation: Lagopoulos et al., Cogn Process, 2009 - Mindfulness meditation increases frontal theta and posterior alpha - promoting calm alertness.

Citation: Tang YY et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2009 - Breath-focused attention enhances executive function and downregulates stress response.

Avoid or Delay Task-Based Thinking (Email, Planning, Scrolling) When possible

Heavy cognitive demands early in the day abruptly activate task-positive networks and beta/gamma activity, which suppress the beneficial alpha state and increase mental rigidity.

In other words: If you start task-switching too early in the day, you potentially:

• Burn through dopamine too quickly
• Struggle to focus
• Feel more impulsive, distracted, and anxious later on

Citation: Fitzgerald PJ et al., Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2015 - Early beta-dominant arousal linked to prefrontal inflexibility and reduced emotional resilience.

Citation: Braboszcz et al., Front Psychol, 2017 - Meditation and reflection increase coherence in alpha/theta ranges - supporting insight and executive regulation.

Consistency & Gratitude over perfection:

Remember - at the end of the day - mental stress over not getting everything "perfect" can throw you into high stress beta.

So do the best you can to keep an attitude of gratitude, and remember that life happens & you can't control every single detail.

You can be the most meticulous biohacker - eat the perfect diet & keep yourself in high beta just on your thoughts alone.

Health starts with intention - not perfection.