![]() ![]() That doesn’t mean the light will appear red to the naked eye it will still look normal, but it will help the body produce melatonin to help you wind down. Use coloured lighting to your advantage by choosing red-spectrum lighting for the bedroom. If you don’t have a fully programmable smart lighting system, there are still things you can do. We’ll discuss this more when we get to circadian lighting. One of the ways to do this is by dimming the lights in your home as the evening goes on. That way, our bodies start to wind down, and we can get a more relaxing sleep. If we take what we’ve just learned about light and the human body, we know that we need to decrease exposure to blue light in the hours before bed. Let’s talk about sleep first because the benefits of getting a night of good sleep are widely known. Screens and devices also emit blue light, which is why many experts suggest putting the phone down a couple of hours before bed.Ĭonsidering we need lights in our home, how can we use lighting to our advantage while still maintaining a good circadian rhythm? Fortunately, there are several ways to create healthier and more eco-friendly lighting in your home or workplace. Our brain thinks it’s still daytime and sends all the signals we need to stay awake and alert. If we’re spending our evening bathed in bright blue-spectrum light through halogen or LED lights in the home, it’s basically bad mood lighting. When exposed to blue light, our body produces less melatonin, which is the chemical that helps us wind down for sleep. However, blue light contains the most energy out of all colours on the light spectrum. It’s a very natural type of light that we receive from the sun, so there’s nothing particularly damaging about it from a biological point of view. Blue light and how it worksīlue light is basically the enemy of good sleep. As a result, our bodies are almost tricked into believing it’s still daytime, and we remain more alert.Īs such, many experts suggest trying to achieve a lighting system and even a lifestyle that mimics the course of natural daylight for improved circadian rhythm and better sleep. Blue light can come from TVs, smartphones, computers and even the halogen and LED lights used in modern homes. Plus, when we’re inside, we’re exposed to a lot more blue light than our body is used to. Today, we spend the majority of our lives inside. ![]() Daylight also gradually decreases, so the lessening light levels helped the body wind down. They received the correct type of blue-spectrum light from the sun during the day, and the darkness of the night told people when to sleep. The history of lighting vs the human bodyīefore electricity and the invention of lights, as we know them today, our circadian rhythm worked more efficiently because humans spent more time outside. It’s partly due to the use of screens and devices that emit blue light, but it’s also a result of our changing lifestyles and the light we’re provided within our homes and workplaces. ![]() However, research has shown that in modern times, our body clock, or our circadian rhythm, is becoming confused. When it’s dark, the brain sends different messages, telling the body it’s time to wind down. In simple terms, when we’re exposed to certain types of blue-spectrum light during the day, our brain sends out signals prompting the body to be more alert. Have you ever known someone who manages to wake up on time every day with no alarm clock? They likely have a circadian rhythm that’s very in tune with their needs. It’s essentially your body clock, and it is drastically impacted by light. When looking at how the human body responds to light, we need to understand something called the circadian rhythm. ![]() We’ve all heard about our body’s circadian rhythm, but did you know how much impact the light we’re exposed to can have on our body clock? This is why creating a healthy environment for both the home and workplace can improve alertness, productivity, sleep and our overall health. ![]()
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