Do you ever find yourself feeling low on energy after a rough day and it doesn’t get any better after going home and winding down? Turns out, it might not be you, it could be your light bulb.
The way the spaces you spend time in are lit can influence the way you feel — it even has the power to impact the quality of your rest. If you value having a good place where you can recharge and relax, then you might want to make sure the lights in your home are not secretly sabotaging your efforts. Understanding how different types of light affect you can be a tool that helps you control your mood and your well-being with a simple flick of a switch.
The variation between light’s warm and cool colours is referred to as light colour temperature, which is measured in Kelvin. Warm light, which usually ranges from 2700-3000 Kelvin, can set a cozy ambiance that encourages relaxation and is common in spaces like bedrooms or lounges. Cool light typically ranges from 3000-5000 Kelvin and can boost alertness and concentration, which is why you can find it in places like office cubicles and classrooms. Light temperature is not everything there is to it though — the brightness of the light source also matters. The brighter the light, the more awake you may become, and the dimmer it is, the sleepier you might get.
Our circadian rhythm can be disrupted by having too much light in the evening, since exposure to blue light (often found in artificial lights and screens) can suppress the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. This is why exposure to bright screens at nighttime can be disruptive to your sleep schedule, hence why some devices have a blue light filter that can be activated to help lessen exposure at night. Blue light exposure isn’t a life or death situation, but understanding the way your body responds to it can help you adapt it to your liking. Blue light and artificial light aren’t necessarily bad, it’s the excessive exposure to them that can be harmful. As long as you balance how much exposure you are getting, you should be good to go.
I think choosing the right light for the right space is paramount to making it feel whole and the best version that it can be. I knew something was off with the lighting in my living room and kitchen. Cooking by the stove or sitting down on the couch never felt that comfortable, and it’s not like my kitchen is ugly, nor is my living room uninviting. At some point I realized it was the lighting; it’s too cool for a space where you should be able to have a chill time. If I had to bet, I’d say it’s somewhere around 5000 Kelvin which is a cool, pure white.
Now that I know the reasoning behind cool light being useful for alertness, I can see why it’s a light you’d find in a kitchen — you don’t want to chop your finger by mistake after all. It makes sense that kitchens in restaurants often have cool lighting, but my kitchen which connects to the living room? Nu-uh. It kills the vibe. Cooking there doesn’t feel inviting and winding down in the living room doesn’t come naturally to me because of the way the space is lit. Not only that, but on top of the kitchen light being cool, it’s not bright enough to cook comfortably. Now I know that a brighter and slightly warmer light bulb would give that whole space a much deserved upgrade.
Going forward, I’ll make an effort to choose bright spaces with cool lighting to study, lounge areas with neutral lighting to relax and socialize, and warm soft light for a cozy place to rest in. With a bit more knowledge on what light does and how it can affect the body, you can use it to your own advantage! I know I will.
