Snakes can see red bulbs. there is research available it is a bit hard to find and dense when you do look in university libraries under zoological papers. They see heat the heat pits are connected to the optic nerve so heat = light if it gets hot they see it. The range of colours snakes see is roughly the same as 256 colours on a computer it isn't quite as smooth but basically they are all there.
Ok OP so your question. Heat lamps do not suck humidity, they do promote very good circulation and if you live in a dry area that will mean the enclosure will equalize with the room faster. There is nothing wrong with lamps as long as the animal cannot contact the lamp. You can make heat lamps work and work well it is just a matter of balance more balancing than UTHs maybe but just balancing.
Red bulbs are fine personally I like blue LEDs they are cheap and energy efficient and produce no low heat. Snakes are tuned for the near and full infra red end of the spectrum. (dark red to invisible to humans) blue is at the far end away from IR, so if a nightlight was to be a bother to them blue is less so. ( i have never seen any ball react to a dark bulb at night so it is moot really)
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