How Bespoke Lighting Solutions Can Improve Health & Well-Being
How does lighting effect your Circadian Rhythm?
Your Circadian Rhythm controls how your body functions to the environment that it is in. It is a running 24- hour internal clock which cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals also more well known as wake/sleep cycle. This rhythm works best when you have regular sleeping habits, which coincides with the cycle of night time and day time.
The sleep-inducing hormone melatonin produced in the pineal gland, which is controlled by the hypothalamus. As a result, of our busy lifestyles we spend less time in natural light during the day, but instead are exposed to artificial lighting at night which disrupts the body’s natural rhythm. Good lighting should therefore follow the patterns and rhythms of natural light.
Disruption of these natural rhythms has been associated with an increased risk for a cardiovascular event, obesity, diabetes, neurological problems such as depression, and even some forms of cancer. To combat this lighting solutions can be designed to support the cycle of the circadian system by providing varying degrees of circadian stimulus.
What are the benefits of Circadian Lighting and who can it help?
LED Circadian lighting can aid in produce the correct amounts of melatonin and dopamine at the right times of the day to be productive and alert. Getting the right sleep is so important for your overall health and well-being, therefore having effective Circadian Lighting is essential. It also vastly improves your mood and alertness, especially during winter months when exposure to sunlight is lower than in summer.
We all know how spending a day outdoors can help reduce stress. Though we may not be able to consistently get outdoors in busy day to day life, LED lighting can offer help. It has been associated with decreased levels of stress and anxiety in indoor environments.
Researchers have repeatedly shown the bright white light has the power to mitigate depression and improve overall mental state. Alternatively, warmer lights signal the brain to produce melatonin, which leads to a peaceful sleep and lowers anxiety.
The World Health Organization decreed that shift work is risk factor for breast cancer, due to the circadian desynchronization cause by unbalanced sleep patterns. Using LED light to mimic natural light patterns can reduce this risk and maintain healthy sleeping schedules.
Using LED Circadian Lighting can help a vast amount of people from office workers to the elderly. Even in education, A study by the University of Exeter found that welfare and productivity are most likely to be optimised by practices that empower the workforce increased productivity up to 32%.
For the elderly, night time waking can be confusing and upsetting. By using LED technology, it massively helps to provide the best sleep outcomes to maintain quality and safe care. Using several types of lighting at residential care homes can massively improve a resident’s well-being.
Using Circadian Lighting in health institutions can also decrease the length of stays. A recent study published in Building and Environment reported findings that patients with direct access to morning light were seeing their stays shortened by anywhere from 16% to 41%.
Also, with a constant rise in the use of phones just before sleeping. Phones and similar electronics emitted blue light which signals the body to be alert like in the day, making it harder to fall asleep. Using the right temperature and colour of lights can ensure a good night sleep to boost productivity and alertness.
How can Asco Lights help with Circadian Lighting Solutions?
At Asco Lights we can design a personalised lighting scheme to suit your needs whether it’s a home, office or health care institution. We believe it’s essential to tailor the right lighting to change through out the day to match you. The design and simplicity of lighting control will need to enable users to take real advantage of adaptable lighting without technical and knowledge barriers getting in the way so that this powerful aspect of artificial lighting can become second nature when we think about lighting in our lives.
For a lighting solution to stimulate the circadian system, the carefully calibrated lighting dose of light intensity, colour and timing must be delivered to the occupants in the space. From cool-toned 6000k light for the brightness of daylight to warm-toned 3000k for evenings, we can adjust light to match a natural circadian rhythm. Phone apps can make it so easy and simple to change lighting for all times throughout the day. By designing a tailored lighting solution in a home, school or office it can provide many health and well-being benefits.
