Sleep is such an essential part of our overall health; it is key to clarity of thought, productivity, and mood. Did you know lighting in our environment can significantly affect our sleep?
How Does Lighting Affect Sleep?
Different levels of light output and the colours of light affects the production of melatonin, which is a natural hormone produced by the brain and released into the bloodstream (Suni, 2020). Melatonin is the hormone that helps regulate our circadian rhythm, such as our sleep-wake cycle (Suni, 2020). Darkness encourages the production of melatonin which signals the body to rest, while light discourages the production of melatonin which signals the body to be awake (Suni, 2020). This is why it is believed that controlling the levels of light output and/or the colours of light exposed prior to bedtime can significantly aid in a restful sleep.
Consider the following when lighting your place of rest:
1) Dimmers
Dimmers help control the level of light output in a room. Being able to adjust output can help reduce the amount of light exposure when it is closer to the desired time to sleep.
Product: Sunnata touch dimmer by Lutron (NEW). See product video below:
2) Controls
Some households are able to control their lighting through lighting apps thanks to the growing popularity of smart-home systems. Lighting can be set to gradually dim closer to the time of sleep, and shut off completely when it is time to rest.
Product: Smart Home RBG+CCT Line from Dals (NEW)
3) Lumens
Each light source, such as a ceiling light, a lamp, a wall sconce, offers different quantities of light. The higher the quantity of lumens, the more light output the fixture will have. It is always ideal to layer lighting within a space so that you can adjust the light accordingly.
Example: Adding table lamps in addition to the general lighting received from the ceiling fixture.
Featured:
Schulz Construction
ALA Lighting Specialist: Junia Taron
4) Colour
The colour of light also plays a major part on how well we sleep. The red/orange and yellow hues (such as lighting that ranges from 2200K – 3000K) tends to help us sleep better in comparison to lighting that leans towards the blue hues (such as lighting that ranges from 4000K-6000K) which may trigger us to stay alert and awake.
Product: Smart RGB+CCT Flush Mount from Dals (NEW)
Colour temperature can be modified (2700K to 6500K) and offers full colour spectrum.
For more information, feel free to contact our Specialist. Our team is always happy to help!
sales@robinsonlighting.com
Winnipeg: 204-784-0099
Kelowna: 250-860-9626
Reference List
Suni, E. (2020, August 06). Melatonin and Sleep. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/melatonin-and-sleep#:~:text=Melatonin%20is%20a%20natural%20hormone,causes%20that%20production%20to%20stop.
