Circadian Lighting
According to a growing body of academic research, the natural cycle of day and night is essential to maintaining our health and well-being, and a lack of daylight during the day and the growing prevalence of blue-rich light at night is disruptive to a person’s immune response, metabolic function, cognitive performance and even genetic expression. Lighting levels and quality are interpreted by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the eye, which calibrates day/night cycles. This is where the importance of circadian lighting comes in.
What Is Circadian Lighting
The purpose of artificial circadian lighting is to replicate the natural light cycle with interior lighting. This is achieved by manufacturers accessing the right medical knowledge and the dynamic features of LED lighting technology to create personalized lighting systems that mitigate circadian disruption. The aim is to contribute to an individual feeling alert during the day and able to sleep well at night. On the other hand, one who does not get appropriate circadian stimulus would risk poorer sleep quality, which can lead to reduced energy during the day and other health conditions.
Health Benefits of Circadian Lighting
The application of day-lighting in buildings has often been focused on creating aesthetically pleasant interior spaces and reducing energy consumption. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that daylight benefits one’s health by influencing the body’s circadian rhythm. Considering that most people spend thee majority of their time indoors at home or at work, properly engineered and supplemented daylight can provide health benefits for millions of people.
This understanding is increasingly being embraced by healthcare providers. In particular, patients and staff who would normally spend long hours in artificially lit spaces have the most to gain from incorporating circadian lighting systems.
Research has shown that good lighting tends to reduce levels of depression in patients which can correlate with a reduced length of stay. Lighting impacts on sleep which impacts on health and hence the ability to recover more quickly. Likewise staff experience is also improved by good lighting, leading to better moral and performance.
Ansell and Bailey have specified circadian lighting in the recently completed Royal Marsden Surgical Day Unit, where the patient controlled led circadian lighting supplements the background lighting and daylight. Another project currently on site, also designed by Ansell and Bailey, is the phased refurbishment of the Royal Free Hospital Accident and Emergency Department which is an existing deep plan building where the new circadian lighting is eagerly anticipated to reap rewards with improved patient outcomes.
So, if your interior space, such as your bedroom or office does not have windows, you should consider installing circadian lighting to allow appropriate light waves that induce appropriate wakefulness throughout the day.
Summary
The circadian rhythm regulates a person’s body clock in a physiological process that occurs every day, and it does not only occur in humans, but also in animals, plants and even microorganisms. Most bodily hormones cycle during the day, as well as the sensitivity of various types of cells to various hormones, which can affect every system in the body. It is generally a symphony of bodily reactions, which is why regulating the circadian rhythm is very important
Basically, it is essential for our health, so when your circadian rhythm is properly regulated, you will be able to sleep well and have energy in the morning, stays constant throughout the day until it gradually starts to diminish
in the evening. With healthy circadian rhythms, we can hope to reduce the risk of all chronic diseases.
