Yes, the shape of the silhouette and the texture of the base matter, but so does the science behind lighting. Circadian lighting – lighting that changes color to promote sleeping at night and energy during the day – is often the overlooked but an increasingly important secret weapon of the lighting industry.
The dynamics behind circadian lighting have been well known for years. Different spectrums of light have different affects on the human body, much of it having to do with melatonin production. More melatonin at night creates better sleep, less melatonin during the day promotes higher activity levels. (If you’re really into the science, there’s a lot more to it, but those are the basics.)
One of the leading researchers in the importance of light design is Mariana Figueiro, Light and Health Program Director at the Lighting Research Center and professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She’s also been a speaker at Lightovation at the Dallas Market Center and a TedTalk presenter.
“We are all swimming in a sea of light,” she told a TEDMED audience a few years back. “Light is the conductor of our internal symphony, influencing when we sleep and wake, our cognitive abilities, how much we eat, and even how well our medicine works.”
In that presentation, she described the work her group is undertaking to address the disparity in lighting conditions in Sweden. “The availability of daylight in Sweden during winter months is very limited, and so we are designing a ‘healthy home’ using lighting principles that will promote health and wellbeing not only in Swedish homes, but in other places where daylight availability is limited,” she explained.
“The system will provide cycled electric lighting with cool, high light levels during the day and warm, low levels at night. This type of cycled lighting is ideal for circadian health, encouraging restful sleep at night and increased alertness and performance during the day – not to mention many other general health benefits, such as improved mood and reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.”
Dr. Figueiro believes that as more studies are done and the lighting industry better understands the impact it can have on health and wellness, it will embrace this science. “Today, many people think of light as just part of a building. In the future, we believe light will become more personalized, customizable, and tailored to the needs of each individual.”