If you’ve been adjusting your diet, working on sleep, and doing everything you can to manage tics — and you’re still looking for more tools — light therapy might be the one you haven’t discovered yet.

It sounds almost too simple. But the science behind it is real, the safety profile is strong across all ages, and for anyone navigating tic disorders, it’s one of the most accessible and underutilized strategies available.

Whether you’re a parent researching options for your child, an adult managing tics yourself, or a clinician looking for evidence-informed tools to share with clients — this post is for you.

Let’s break it down.

First, an Important Disclosure

There isn’t yet research that studies light therapy directly for tics. But here’s what we do know — tics are made significantly worse by neuroinflammation, anxiety, poor sleep, and an overactive nervous system. And there is solid, well-established research showing that specific wavelengths of light directly address all four of those things.

In other words — light therapy doesn’t target tics. It targets the conditions that make tics worse or the root of why tics are elevated. And when those conditions improve, tics will follow.

Two Types of Light Therapy — Two Different Tools

There are two types of light therapy worth knowing about for tic management: red light and green light. They work through completely different mechanisms, but they complement each other beautifully and can easily be combined into a simple daily routine. Here’s what each one does:

🔴 Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

Red light therapy uses specific wavelengths — 630–660nm (red) and 810–850nm (near-infrared) — to penetrate the skin and stimulate cellular energy production at the mitochondrial level. In plain language: it helps your cells work better, recover faster, and reduce inflammation more efficiently.

For the brain and nervous system — which is exactly where support is needed with tics — this translates to:

• Reduced neuroinflammation, one of the primary drivers of increased tic severity
• Improved brain cell function, supporting more stable neurological signaling
• Reduced cortisol and stress response
• Improved deep sleep quality, when the nervous system does most of its overnight repair
• Reduced anxiety through effects on the autonomic nervous system
• Improved vagus nerve function, which supports the gut-brain communication system closely tied to tic patterns

What Does the Research Say?

While tic-specific studies don’t exist yet, research on brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease, and depression has shown that near-infrared light can reach brain tissue, reduce inflammation, and improve how the brain’s movement and mood circuits function — the same circuits involved in tics. Studies have also shown that red light reduces activity in the amygdala — the brain’s alarm center — and improves heart rate variability, both of which directly affect how the nervous system manages stress and tic triggers.

Is It Safe?

Yes — for all ages. One of the most well-studied uses of red light therapy in children is for myopia, or nearsightedness, which has established a strong pediatric safety track record. For teens and adults, the safety profile is equally well-supported. With appropriate eye protection and correct device distance, red light therapy is considered safe and well-tolerated across the lifespan.

Where to Use It for Tics

The most effective areas to target for tic management are:

• Forehead (most important for tics) — near-infrared light can pass through the skull and reach the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex, the exact brain regions most involved in tic generation. Hold 6–12 inches from the forehead with eyes closed or protective goggles on.
• Back of the head — targets the cerebellum and brainstem, which handle motor coordination and the vagus nerve.
• Neck — targets the vagus nerve directly, supporting the body’s shift into a calmer, more regulated state.
• Belly/abdomen — reduces inflammation in the digestive tract and supports the enteric nervous system, especially relevant if gut health is a known factor in your tic patterns.
• Upper back — supports the whole central nervous system and helps reduce overall inflammation and stress hormones.

Get the Full Red Light Protocol — Free Download

Ready to put red light therapy into practice? The complete Light Therapy Protocol for Tics and Tourette Syndrome breaks down exactly how long to use it, where to apply it, how often to use it by age, what device to buy, and a step-by-step session order — everything you need to get started with confidence. Download your free copy below and take the guesswork out of getting started.

Download the Free Light Therapy Protocol →

🟢 Green Light Therapy

Green light works completely differently from red light. Rather than penetrating tissue, it works through the eyes and the visual system — and its effects ripple out from there into the brain and nervous system.

Here’s what makes it really interesting for tics: research has found that white, blue, amber, and red light can actually make neurological sensitivity and sensory symptoms worse. But a very specific shade of green — 520nm narrow-band green light — has the opposite effect. It’s actually calming to an over activated nervous system.

For anyone with tics who also experiences anxiety, sensory sensitivities, or a nervous system that always seems in overdrive — this could be an incredibly helpful tool.

What the Research Shows:

• Brain inflammation: Green light increases the brain’s natural stress-reducing chemicals and directly lowers neuroinflammation — both directly relevant to tic severity
• Anxiety: Clinical studies show that 520nm green light reduces anxiety and helps the nervous system shift out of high-alert mode — important for anyone whose anxiety and tics are intertwined
• Sleep: Evening green light exposure improves sleep quality and reduces time to fall asleep — important given how closely poor sleep and worsened tics are linked
• Sensory sensitivity: Because 520nm green light is calming rather than activating to the visual system, it is particularly well-suited for individuals with sensory processing differences, which commonly co-occur with tic disorders at all ages

How to Use It:

Green light works through ambient room exposure — not direct application to the body like red light. This makes it one of the simplest and most effortless protocols to build into any daily routine, regardless of age or lifestyle.

• Place the lamp at eye level in whatever room you or your child relaxes, reads, or does quiet activities
• Sit in the room with the green light on — no need to stare directly at it
• Dim or turn off other lights in the room for the best effect
• Works beautifully during homework time, reading, quiet play, evening wind-down, or even adult decompression time after work

Get the Full Red Light Protocol — Free Download

Ready to put red light therapy into practice? The complete Light Therapy Protocol for Tics and Tourette Syndrome breaks down exactly how long to use it, where to apply it, how often to use it by age, what device to buy, and a step-by-step session order — everything you need to get started with confidence. Download your free copy below and take the guesswork out of getting started.

Download the Free Light Therapy Protocol →

What to Realistically Expect

Light therapy is one tool in a larger toolkit — not a standalone cure. When used consistently alongside other whole-body strategies, here is what many people notice:

• Better sleep within 1–2 weeks
• Less anxiety and stress reactivity within 2–4 weeks
• Gradual reduction in overall tic frequency and intensity over 4–8 weeks

Consistency matters more than perfection. A few sessions a week done regularly will always outperform an intense protocol done sporadically. Start small, build the habit, and give it time to work.

Light Therapy Is One Piece of a Bigger Picture

Whether you’re a parent trying to help your child, an adult who has managed tics for years without a real roadmap, or a clinician looking for evidence-informed tools to support your clients — light therapy is a meaningful and accessible addition to a whole-body approach. But it works best when it’s part of a larger plan.

Tics are influenced by gut health, nutrition, sleep, sensory processing, emotional regulation, movement, and daily routines. If you want all of that in one place — organized, evidence-informed, and written for real people navigating real life — the Empower Your Brain and Body Workbook brings the complete picture together.

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Ready for Personalized, Hands-On Support?

If you’re looking for guided support alongside your at-home tools — for yourself or your child, I’d love to work with you.

🧠 Tic Tamer Lab — A comprehensive, affordable 8-week CBIT-based program with live group teaching and individual competing response coaching. Structured, focused, and built with a clear start and finish. Limited enrollment, offered a few times per year.

🙋 Individual CBIT Therapy — One-on-one sessions with Emily, fully personalized to your unique tic presentation, triggers, and daily life. The gold standard in tic treatment, available via telehealth nationwide.

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Related Reading:

• 📖 How Sugar, Screens, and Stress Affect Tic Severity
• 📖 The Sleep Connection: Helping Kids Rest, Regulate, and Rebalance
• 📖 Tics and Anxiety: Why They Show Up Together