The Dark Side of Light – Is Artificial Lighting Affecting Our Health?
If you own a home, chances are that you use artificial lighting. According to a recent thesis on the topic written by Kitchen & Bath Designer Jordan Thomes, “artificial lighting systems have evolved…and so has the human body’s reaction to these systems.”
While lighting does generally have effects on the human body, those effects can vary based on the origin of light, says Thomes. Natural lighting provided by windows and doors is recommended when designing homes with human in health in mind. Natural light drives the human body’s Circadian Rhythm.
Circadian Rhythm: What It Means
The Human Circadian Rhythm is an internal clock with a 24 hour cycle that people rely on to know when to wake up & to go to sleep.
Circadian rhythm disorders, also known as sleep-wake cycle disorders, are problems that occur when your body’s internal clock is out of sync with your environment.
During this cycle, the human body receives signals of serotonin in the morning which helps the body feel rested and melatonin in the evening so the body desires sleep. This rhythm can be easily disrupted by the exposure, intensity, & color of lighting in a home.
Artificial Lighting, LEDs & Blue Light Effects
Lighting in the home goes far deeper than just visual impacts, affecting its occupants in much subtler ways, highlights Thomes. The most common artificial lighting used today is LED lighting & it is far from healthy.
Thomes, J. (2018). Led, Sad, and Id An Analysis of the Relationship Between Light-Emitting Diodes (Led), Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad) and Interior Design (Id) (thesis).
Light emitting diodes or LED’s create blue light that can be often found in outdoor lighting, TVs, & computer screens. Exposure to these LED’s at night disturbs the production of melatonin in the human body; which responsible for inducing sleep, boosting the immune system, & providing antioxidants. Prolonged exposure to LED lighting can leave us vulnerable to health related issues in the home.
Natural Lighting & Biophilia
Biophilia is defined as the hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature. According to the “biophilia hypothesis,” humans feel better when exposed to natural light.
Thomes, J. (2018)pg.6. Led, Sad, and Id An Analysis of the Relationship Between Light-Emitting Diodes (Led), Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad) and Interior Design (Id) (thesis).
Designing a home with direct connections to nature such as utilizing natural light provided by windows or even incorporating the orientation of a space can greatly improve one’s circadian rhythm and therefore overall health.
Artificial vs Natural Lighting & SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
Humans need light to function on a daily basis. Our 24 hour sunlight based cycle gets cut short with daylight savings, causing an increase in the usage of artificial light. Due to the decrease in natural daylight during the fall & winter months, humans can develop SAD (Season Affective Disorder). “The effects of SAD include irritability, sadness, cravings, and fatigue”.
Thomes, J. (2018)pg.6-7. Led, Sad, and Id An Analysis of the Relationship Between Light-Emitting Diodes (Led), Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad) and Interior Design (Id) (thesis).
Studies show that sufferers of “seasonal mood swings,” or seasonal depression, were strongly drawn to sunlight, preferred houses with many windows, kept windows unshaded, and chose to shop at brightly lit supermarkets at night (Hyman 96, cited Thomes 6). People with diagnosed SAD also suffer from poor quality sleep. In an attempt to battle the effects of SAD, Bright Light Therapy was founded in the 1980’s to treat depression with artificial light.
It was discovered that high intensity artificial light can suppress melatonin secretions & that artificial lighting can be configured to mimic the intensity of the sun. While bright light therapy has been proven to improve the effects of SAD in some cases, it is not recommended to use high intensity artificial lighting at all times because it disrupts the human circadian rhythm. Quality sleep is dependent on the design & usage of correct lighting in the home.
Middle Ground – Artificial Lighting Correction or Circadian Correct Lighting
While natural light is desirable and should be utilized wherever possible in a home design, not all of us have the option of designing our homes from the ground up. A middle ground solution to bring our circadian rhythms in balance is Circadian Correct Lighting. Extremely similar to daylight dimming systems, circadian correct lighting provides lighting settings optimal for human health.
These include characteristics such as extremely blue-rich light for mornings to early afternoons and low levels of warm, red-rich lights later in the day and complete darkness after 10pm. Circadian Correct Lighting reduces our exposure to blue light, improves our quality of sleep & balances our internal clock – the best of both worlds.
Thomes, J. (2018)pg.9. Led, Sad, and Id An Analysis of the Relationship Between Light-Emitting Diodes (Led), Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad) and Interior Design (Id) (thesis).
Conclusion: Is Artificial Lighting Affecting Our Health?
Yes, artificial lighting affects our health. Too much blue light disrupts our sleep & health, however not enough light causes depressive symptoms and behaviors. Natural light is always recommended over artificial light, but Circadian Correct Lighting gives us a medium where we can access light when there is none and protect ourselves from the constant blue light of LED’s. Natural or Artificial, we should always keep in mind the importance of quality lighting in a home.
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