This post covers how light is a nervous system signaler.
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Who is Betsy Leighton?
I’m a writer, blogger, and healer dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their innate peace and wholeness by healing nervous system dysregulation. My personal experience with chronic illness called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) shapes my work, and my content offers tools to empower those with chronic illness to improve their well-being and take charge of their health.
I created the Sacred Self-Healing Method and am a trained and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider, an author, blogger, and A Course in Miracles Teacher. I hold a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling and am a trained spiritual mentor, with certificates in sound healing, aromatherapy, nutrition, and Sacred Deathcare. I offer a self-study certificate program in the Sacred Self-Healing Method, provide spiritual counseling and coaching, courses, and supported subscriptions for the Safe and Sound Protocol.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis. MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments include antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers. Check out this post on managing MCAS.
Light as a Nervous System Signal
The nervous system continuously monitors the environment for signs of safety or threat. Light is one of its most potent inputs. The eyes don’t merely perceive light—they transmit information directly to the brain’s emotional and hormonal centers. Certain wavelengths enhance alertness, elevate cortisol levels, and sharpen focus. Others promote calmness, reduce stress signals, and support parasympathetic activity—the state essential for digestion, tissue repair, and emotional regulation. This isn’t inherently good or bad. Morning light should stimulate, while evening light should calm. Problems emerge when the body receives mismatched signals at the wrong time, consistently day after day
The importance of color
Cool, blue-rich light mimics a bright midday sky, boosting alertness, reaction time, and cognitive focus. It’s ideal for morning use or during periods of concentrated work. However, when used at night, it can disrupt sleep.
Warm light—rich in reds, ambers, and soft yellows—resembles sunset and firelight, signaling safety and closure. It gently reduces visual sharpness, softens contrast, and helps the brain shift into a restful state.
This is why candlelight feels soothing, why fires naturally draw people together, and why warm lighting in the evening often provides a sense of emotional grounding.
That said, not all warm light is truly warm. Many bulbs labeled ‘warm’ still emit significant levels of blue and green wavelengths, particularly when dimmed electronically. The nervous system doesn’t respond to labels—it responds to the actual spectrum of light.
The Nervous System Craves Predictability
One of the most overlooked needs of the nervous system is predictability. Stable light levels, consistent color temperature, and a clear day-night rhythm allow the brain to settle into a natural, balanced state. Lighting that suddenly shifts, flickers, or sends conflicting signals keeps the nervous system in a state of constant alertness. Over time, this undermines emotional resilience and mental well-being. Warm, flicker-free light in the evening reduces the sensory burden on the brain. It decreases the need for constant processing, creating space for calm, connection, and restorative recovery.
The indoor lighting I use
I use full-spectrum lighting from Bon Charge in my home. I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.
Bon Charge makes a full-spectrum lighting solution that’s designed to optimize your well-being and enhance your productivity by mimicking the changing phases of sunlight. This flicker-free and low EMF light bulb provides circadian-friendly lighting to your home or office environment, keeping you feeling your best self.
The bucket theory
The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.
Know your typical symptom progression
Understanding your symptom progression during a flare is key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize symptom progression so you can be prepared to address them.
Get my free ebook, symptom log, and meal plan!
Want a tool to easily track your symptoms?
Check out these circadian health tools!
I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.
Bon Charge offers tools such as yellow– and red-tone blue-blocking glasses, red light therapy devices, PEMF mats, infrared saunas, and EMF-blocking products.
Sign up for the SSP!
I’ve found the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to be the most helpful bottom-up healing strategy if your nervous system has been overloaded with toxic exposures, including mold or non-native EMFs, chronic infections, concussions, stress, or trauma. The SSP is a passive listening therapy based on Polyvagal Theory that helps heal nervous system dysregulation. Many people with MCAS and other chronic conditions have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app that lets you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day as part of a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions. Here’s a short podcast describing the Safe and Sound Protocol.
You can sign up for the SSP here!
Heal your mind!
While the SSP is a bottom-up, somatic therapy for healing the nervous system, the Sacred Self-Healing Method I offer is a top-down nervous system-healing modality that focuses on cognition, attention, perception, and emotion, using the mind’s higher functions. The SSP and the Sacred Self-Healing Method complement each other and together produce lasting results. Here’s a short podcast on my self-healing practice.
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching, as well as Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven, novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
Order my books!
Here’s a short podcast highlighting my five books.
My latest book, Living In The Light: Healing with Forgiveness, Sound, and Light, is all about the tools that have been most helpful for me to heal: forgiveness, sound, through nervous system retraining using the Safe and Sound Protocol, and light, through entraining my circadian rhythm with the energy of the sun. Living In The Light is available here!
Rocks and Roots chronicles my solo backpacking journey on the Superior Hiking Trail and my efforts to overcome nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to complete the 328-mile hike successfully.
The Sacred Self-Healing Method ebook is available here and in most ebook retailers!
The Sacred Self-Healing Workbook is available for purchase here!
Betsy’s first book, Sacred Self-Healing: Finding Peace Through Forgiveness, is available here
Companion Recordings
The companion audio recordings of chants, guided meditations, and sound healing demonstrations that accompany the Sacred Self-Healing Method are available for free on my YouTube channel here
What do you think?
I’d love to have your reply below!
Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment.
