Lighting for a good sleep and a healthy home

Natural sunlight is great for your health. It supports Vitamin D levels, improves mood, kills bacteria, improves sleep quality and may even reduce high blood pressure. There’s so many reasons to get out there and enjoy the great outdoors and get plenty of sunlight.

But what about indoors?

The vast majority of indoor lighting comes from modern LED (light-emitting diodes) lighting that is both energy efficient and does not require bulbs to be regularly changed like incandescent, halogen and fluorescent bulbs do. In addition to home lighting, LED light can come from your mobile phones, Smart TVs, fridge lights and other digital devices.

While this artificial light brings with it many benefits there are downsides too.

Our body relies on light to tell us when to sleep and when to wake up. Some call it the natural body cycle or circadian rhythm. When you see the full spectrum light that occurs from sunrises and sunsets (red and orange tinges of colour) this helps to regulate our circadian rhythm. 

However, when we overexpose ourselves to artificial light in the evening, like that produced by LEDs, the light is telling you’re body, “it’s the middle of the day, no need to sleep”. A great example of this is using your mobile phone before bed. The light can suppresses your melatonin (which is your sleep hormone) and confuses your circadian rhythm. The result is poorer sleep quality, tiredness and many other negative health issues.

Are LED lights affecting your sleep? (What to do)

Visible light waves vary in length from 380 nanometers (violet light) to 700 nanometers (red light). Blue light is inside that range and can come from the sun but also comes from mobile phone screens, iPad screens, Smart TV screens and LED home lighting. These artificial sources of blue light can affect your sleep and there is also growing concern they may be causing eye damage in humans too.

Cool white LED lights (4000K) emit a large amount of blue light with very little red light, whereas the warmer colour LEDs (3000K) have more red light. So for lighting at home, if LEDs are the only option, a warmer LED may be better for avoiding the side effects of blue light exposure especially in the evenings.

For your digital devices the best option is to turn them off well before bedtime. When you do use your devices in the evening you could change to a night setting with warmer tones to reduce eye strain and get a better sleep. There are also blue light filtering screens you can put over your computer screen when you use them at night.

What are the different types of indoor light? Which is best?

1. Candle / Fire Light

  • Nature’s after-dark light
  • When used indoors air quality may be affected.

2. Incandescent Lamps (the original light bulb)

  • The healthiest type of light (behind sunlight and fire light of course)
  • Warm light colour
  • Been around for over 100 years
  • The Australian government is phasing this incandescent light bulbs out.

3. Halogen Lamps

  • Halogen bulbs are basically improved incandescent bulbs.
  • Generate the same amount of light with less power used and they last longer than incandescent bulbs.
  • Emit AC electric fields, AC magnetic fields and UV radiation.
  • Most modern vehicle headlights use halogen bulbs. They are also popular for highlighting.

4. CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light)

  • Common in offices and under cover carparks.
  • More energy efficient, produce less heat and last longer than incandescent bulbs.
  • Intense light that is very harsh and hard on the eyes.
  • Often take time to warm up after turning on.
  • Hazardous if broken because of the mercury content in the bulb. Safe disposal is difficult and not good for the environment.
  • Worst choice if you are electrically sensitive. They emit high AC electric fields, AC magnetic fields, UV radiation and radiofrequencies.
  • Available in many different shapes.

5. LED & Smart LED Lights

  • Avoid cool white LEDs.
  • Warmer LEDs options are better but not ideal.
  • Very energy-efficient.
  • Very long-lasting.
  • Higher price.

Lighting tips for a healthier home and life

  1. Get more sunlight exposure during the day and especially in the mornings.
  2. Avoid using your mobile phone, tablets, smart TVs and digital devices at least an hour before bed.
  3. Replace LED and fluorescent (CFL) lights with incandescent lights.
  4. Try settings or apps that reduce blue light exposure on mobile phones, tablets and TVs.
  5. Install a variable lighting system at home that changes throughout the day. For example… Morning (4000K), Lunch (5700–6000K), Night (2000-3000K) and Bedtime (1000-2000K)
  6. Install skylights, larger windows and other methods to introduce more natural light into your home.

More tips for a better sleep

Now you’ve got your evening and bedtime lighting on track and sorted, here’s some extra tips for a better nights sleep…

  • Expose yourself to more bright light during the day.
  • Eliminate or reduce coffee, caffeine and alcohol intake especially in the afternoon and evening.
  • Exercise more during the day.
  • Don’t drink too much water before you go to bed.
  • Get a comfortable mattress and pillow.
  • Create a regular bedtime routine (at the same time each night).
  • Have a quiet sleeping area at a comfortable temperature.
  • Stop having long daytime naps
  • Relax before bed (eg. read, meditate)

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