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Light the nights!
More and more people are becoming aware of the effects of natural light on mental health. We now know for sure that spending time in natural light, and allowing it into our homes, can improve our sleep cycles. Natural light also helps people to cope with stress, improves vitamin d levels and aids with some of the symptoms of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, as well as seasonal affective disorder. But when the nights grow longer, the days draw in and temperatures drop it becomes harder to get the time we need out in fresh air and sunlight.
A focus on improving your indoor lighting can improve some of these seasonal symptoms, and year-round it will help create a beautiful atmospheric home. Choosing the right bulbs for your home can seem a bit of a bland start, but changing to LEDs can save a lot on your electricity bills and help you to stop using excess energy but be careful to pick warm LED lights. The right colour bulbs will also improve the look of your home.
There are two basic measurements to look for when you’re searching for the right light bulb. Watts… refers to how much energy a bulb uses, whereas lumens indicates the amount of light output the bulb will provide. You will most likely want to pay the most attention to lumens when trying to improve the lighting of your home.
Indoor lighting can really affect your circadian rhythms, so it is ideal to purchase lamps that are dimmable so you can control light levels to suit your needs. Dimmer plugs can also be purchased separately for lamps to give you more options. Generally speaking you should want to look for bulbs which don’t emit blue light as blue light can affect your biological functions. Especially with the amount of blue light most people are exposed to on a daily basis from traditional fluorescent and LED lights in public spaces and buildings. Unless you are needing a bright task lamp for particular work, most people find that warm white light is the most comfortable in their homes, as it emits a warm glow similar to candle-light, while not throwing a yellow cast in the house.
Overhead lights are great, and really convenient for the darker months, but often they put out more light than is needed, especially if you’re relaxing in the evening. We recommend that you add separate lamps, which allow you to still see and function in your home in the darker months, but will cause a lot less disruption to your biological rhythms. The other benefits to adding table and standard lamps to a room is that they are a fantastic way to add some style and ambiance! Lamps combine beauty and function all at once while making darker areas more appealing.
Most importantly you will also want to make sure that you are getting a good amount of natural light in your home especially during the winter months. Keep your windows clean and curtains and blinds open during the day, and in the darker colder evenings making sure you have plenty of lamps available to light the night!
Good lighting can have a hugely positive impact on your mental and biological health… go for it and improve yours today!
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Posted by Wendy Martin
8th November 2022
