Perfect light Our natural circadian rhythms are affected by light and dark; how well we sleep can influence our entire day’s moods
WORDS VIVIEN HORLER PICTURE ANDREA PIACQUADIO
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THE PSYCHOLOGY EXPOSURE to natural light helps our bodies produce vitamin D, serotonin, and melatonin and can even increase productivity – but it can also have hidden stressors. One of these is glare, which can cause eye strain. At night, do what you can to achieve full darkness. Disrupted sleep can throw off our serotonin levels which, in turn, interrupts mood regulation. There are people in northern Europe, the US and Canada who suffer from a syndrome called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a condition characterised by depression which occurs in climates where in autumn and winter there is a considerable drop in levels of sunlight. We are unlikely to have many cases of SAD in South Africa but even here our moods can be affected by the light. We have all been into rooms flooded with sunshine which boost our mood or south-facing rooms that feel dark and a bit depressing. If our home is our sanctuary, it needs to be a place where we can relax and recharge. One of the important elements of a supportive space is the right kind of lighting. In 2014, a Journal of Consumer Psychology study found that the more intense the lighting, the more affected and intense the participants’ emotions were, both positive and negative. The study included six experiments which examined the link between emotion and ambient brightness. Feelings of warmth increased when participants were exposed to bright light with hints of reddish hues. A sensation of angst increased when bluer light dominated. The brighter the light, the more intense the participants’ emotions became. Light also affects our circadian rhythms – the natural cycle of physical, mental and behavioural changes that the body goes through in a 24-hour cycle. These rhythms are mostly affected by light and darkness.
