Hello emfrancesca, and welcome to Hamster Central. Do not worry about the lights. The hammies are usually buried under the substrate or hidden away in their houses. The lights shouldn't be a problem. None of my furries has a problem with it when I turn on lights. And if they do come out to see what's going on, I grab the opportunity to snuggle whoever has come out to see me. No need to go around in the dark.