Bright Ideas for Household Lighting

Proper lighting benefits your home and your well-being

BY MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON

IIf you notice that your mood changes according to the lighting of the room you’re in, you’re not wrong. Lighting in your home, whether it’s artificial or natural, can impact your mood, energy level, and overall well-being.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LIGHTING AND WELL-BEING

Multiple studies show that there is a tangible connection between the quality of lighting in a home and its residents’ moods and emotions.

For example, a recent study by the journal Building and Environment showed that, “Natural lighting conditions of housing significantly impact people's perceptions of happiness and sadness, with settings that have an increased amount of daylight entering the home leading to the greatest impacts.” The same research found that incorporating natural light into every room in the house also improves emotional well-being.

In addition, research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health shows that having the proper amount of daylight in the home helps its residents to have more energy during the day and sleep better at night.

How does light do this? According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, light is highly essential for health and well-being by how it helps regulate bodily functions.

“Light plays an important role in the function of the nervous and endocrine systems and the secretion of hormones such as melatonin,” according to the journal. “Melatonin is released by the pineal gland in a 24-hour cycle according to how much light is received, regulating the body’s circadian rhythm. In regular sleep-wake cycles, the hormone is highest at night in the dark promoting healthy sleep and lowest during daylight promoting alertness. Disruption to these rhythms caused by a lack of daylight exposure during the day and exposure to bright lights during the night constitutes improper light exposure which affects health.”

Bright Ideas For Household Lighting

With all the scientific evidence showing that proper lighting in the home makes a difference to our overall health, here are some tips to help you brighten your home and potentially your mood.

Make natural lighting your go-to. Natural lighting should be a focal point of designing any home. Experts warn against glare and heat, though, so be sure to mitigate those as much as possible through sheer curtains or other helpful design tactics such as UV protective screens.

When it comes to artificial lighting, consider fullspectrum light bulbs. They mimic natural light and are available in most department or home improvement stores.

Electric lighting that is made with health in mind. For spaces where natural light is minimal or unavailable, experts note that circadian lighting can help increase alertness when needed.

“Circadian lighting refers to lighting that is designed to have a biological impact on the human circadian system,” according to BIOS, an architectural lighting company. “Circadian lighting sends signals to the master clock in the brain, telling our bodies when it is daytime and when it is night and what functions to perform at various times of the day.”

Like full-spectrum bulbs, circadian lighting is available at most department or home improvement stores. You can use different tones or “temperatures” of lighting per room. Experts note that “cool light” is best for during the day while “warm light” is ideal for evening and nighttime. How do you know the difference? Bulbs are often labeled “cool” or are blue to white in tone, or “warm,” which are more yellow to orange in tone. Spaces like offices or front rooms are great for cool lights while restful spaces like bedrooms do well with warmer tones.

Where are your windows? The Building and Environment journal study found that people are happier in a room with a window that faces the sun. Window size was also a big factor (the bigger the better). “It is necessary that we find energy-efficient solutions that are able to maximize light gain while minimizing energy consumption,” according to the study.

Other Home Improvements To Help Boost Natural Light

Experts note that there are many home décor choices that can be made to boost the positive effects of natural lighting. For example, if you don’t have a lot of natural light, position mirrors or reflective artwork to play off the light you do have. Also, you may want to do something as simple as regularly washing your windows inside and out. In addition, specific color palettes, such as lighter tones, help to reflect natural light better.

With some attention to detail and design choices made with light in mind, your days may be brighter and your nights more relaxed.