Lighting design for better health and well being (2024)

  • OUTLOOK

Cleverly designed artificial lighting can sidestep negative effects on the body’s circadian clock, and might even bring health benefits.

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  • Alla Katsnelson0
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    1. Alla Katsnelson is a freelance writer and editor based in Northampton, Massachusetts.

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Like many other institutional structures assembled at the end of the twentieth century, the International Space Station (ISS) was designed to incorporate fluorescent light bulbs. At present, the spacecraft is more than halfway through a lighting overhaul, and its original bulbs are being replaced, piece by piece, with light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01113-w

This article is part of Nature Outlook: The eye, an editorially independent supplement.

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Lighting design for better health and well being (2024)

FAQs

Lighting design for better health and well being? ›

Circadian lighting is a strategically designed system that addresses circadian rhythms and is believed to positively affect health, wellbeing and productivity by minimising that impact of electric light through intensity tuning, colour tuning and stimulus tuning.

What is the best lighting for a wellness room? ›

In relaxation areas, the light should be particularly soft and indirect: a warm light between 2200K and 3000K is suitable in massage areas to illuminate without glare. In areas deputed to beauty treatments we can opt for a light with a higher temperature, between 3000K and 4000K so as to ensure optimal visibility.

What is the best lighting for your health? ›

By definition, then, the absolute healthiest light bulb is incandescent (or halogen) Just as the sun radiates heat, producing the visible light spectrum we can see, an incandescent light bulb (and its brighter counterpart, the halogen incandescent) does much the same thing.

Which of the following lighting is best for our health? ›

Lights
  • Choose Energy Star-certified light bulbs.
  • Choose halogen, compact fluorescent or LED bulbs.
  • Avoid incandescent bulbs.

What are the two major kinds of lighting used in health care settings? ›

Common types of lighting for healthcare facilities

Patients might not see any natural light because they're often in interior rooms, or exterior rooms are covered for privacy reasons. Most healthcare buildings today have a mixture of fluorescent, halogen, and incandescent lights, as well as some LEDs.

What is wellness lighting? ›

LED lights can be tied even closer to the natural light of day with dimmers, that allow for early morning and evening dim lights, to simulate the sun's rising and setting and keep our bodies in our natural rhythm.

What color light is best for mental health? ›

Cool hues are recommended for behavioral health facilities; research shows blue light reduces violence and agitation and promotes healthy sleep patterns.

What light is best for healing? ›

Red is the most commonly used type of LED light therapy. It helps energize the mitochondria in the body's cells, which subsequently quickens tissue recovery and tissue rejuvenation by increasing blood flow and collagen stimulation.

What lighting is best for anxiety? ›

Consider subtle blue, green and red artificial light features – particularly if you tend to experience anxiety at night.

What lights are healthiest for eyes? ›

Warm light is best for the eyes. This includes filtered natural light and light produced by incandescent and LED light bulbs. Spread out lighting in your home and workspace to ensure sufficient lighting.

What are the lights that make you feel better? ›

Bright light therapy is a sunlight substitute that helps fight winter blues, restless sleep, low energy, and lack of focus. Light intensity, measured in Lux, should be at 10,000 to mimic a bright sunny day. HappyLight delivers LED, full-spectrum light that is safe, healthy, and effective.

What is the most effective lighting? ›

LED is by far the most energy efficient form of lighting technology of our generation. This technology has come a very long way since its inception. The Light Emitting Diode (or LED for short) started its life in 1962 as a small electronic component.

What color light is best for you? ›

Studies have shown that warm white or soft white lights in the 2700K-3000K (Kelvin) range can help reduce eye strain and improve sleep quality, making them the perfect choice for cozy reading nooks and bedroom study sessions.

What are the healthy lighting options? ›

Get plenty of natural light. Consider using more incandescent or halogen light. Bright light isn't usually the best light: opt for any light that makes your eyes feel less strained.

What is the best lighting for home health? ›

Use Bright Lighting

Having bright lighting can also keep you energized and alert, without tiring your eyes. Plus, it stimulates your brain and increases your serotonin levels, which helps with your concentration.

Which of these lighting choices is best for employee health and productivity? ›

LED lighting is the best option when considering improving working conditions for employees due to its energy efficiency, cost-saving opportunity, and positive impact on office workers' performance and well-being.

What is the best lighting for a workout room? ›

Use cooler light

Color temperature (warm-to-cool white light) is represented by Kelvin. The sun, for example, is about 5000 K. For the best home gym lighting, use a bulb with a Kelvin range of 2200 K to 6500 K.

What is the most efficient room lighting? ›

Led Lighting

They tend to use less energy than conventional standard bulbs, making them more energy efficient. LED bulbs are useful tools for quality lighting solutions that require little or no maintenance and are very efficient.

What is the best room lighting for visually impaired people? ›

Use uplighters to bounce light onto the ceiling and back into the room. Spotlights are effective for lighting specific areas in a well-lit room but can cause confusing bright and dark patches and glare if used in isolation. Dimmer systems can be used to vary the amount of light needed.

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