Artificial lights leave a bigger impression on our physical and mental well-being than you might expect. Here’s a quick rundown on everything you need to know about this modern-day phenomenon
We know by now that the light from an open sky has a positive impact on our health, but surprisingly, artificial light does, too. One prominent example is bright light therapy, which people use for its therapeutic effects on symptoms of depression. However, artificial light can be a double-edged sword if you’re not being careful.
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The good and the bad
As mentioned, light is a tool we could tap into to improve our lives. Besides being used to light the way, artificial light has links to specific health outcomes. A systematic review from 2021 analyzed several studies exploring its uses, and the findings show that certain artificial lights have the potential to improve one’s quality of life, physical health, mental health, and sleep health. How light impacts your mind and body all comes down to factors like the source—whether it’s kerosene or electric, for example—and color.
And since there are upsides to artificial light, there are downsides, too. For one thing, a poor light environment in the workplace could negatively affect workers’ health, safety, and the quality of their work. When proper lighting is disregarded, workers could suffer such things as eye strain, stress, and headaches, which could then lead to low productivity and mistakes in tasks wherein precision is needed.
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Our takeaway
While more research needs to be conducted to make such findings on artificial light more conclusive, the current body of evidence suggests that certain types of artificial light do have a positive effect on people’s health. And because of that evidence, you have companies like Endo Lighting Corporation producing innovations such as Synca lights, which are designed to improve one’s circadian rhythm, sleep pattern, focus, and more.
As it is, it’s clear to see that lights like these are potential investments we should make for the sake of our health and well-being. While not inexpensive, it’s important nonetheless to understand how light affects us so that we can make informed decisions in the future, especially when we’re furnishing our homes or office spaces.
