What Circadian Lighting Can Do for You
Health & Wellness
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Productivity
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Art & Textures
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Health & Wellness • Productivity • Art & Textures •
Lighting plays an essential role in regulating our circadian rhythm, which influences how we navigate each day from dawn to dusk. Our bodies each have a circadian rhythm which follows a 24-hour cycle, and the colour temperature of lighting performs a critical function. Sunlight in the morning stimulates alertness and productivity, peaking at around midday when the sun is brightest. In the afternoon, the fading of sunlight leads to a gradual onset of drowsiness as we prepare to rest in the evening.
As we spend more of our time indoors, it is necessary for artificial lighting to align with the sun’s natural colour shifts. Circadian lighting or Colour Changing Technology (CCT) allows for the control and customisation of colour temperature, providing extensive benefits to our health and wellbeing, productivity and enjoyment of art and textures. Seamlessly integrated with DALI, circadian lighting can be tailored to our personal routines or synchronised with the sun’s transitions throughout the day.
The Benefits of Circadian Lighting
Health & Wellbeing
Circadian lighting enriches our health and wellbeing by mimicking the changes in colour temperature of daylight. Morning sunlight provides signals to our body to suppress melatonin production, boosting our alertness, whilst diminishing sunlight in the afternoon causes an increase in melatonin production, prompting us to feel tired. In addition, our 24-hour internal clock regulates our body temperature, hunger and hormone releases. When we are exposed to bright, cool white artificial lighting during the afternoon and evening, we confuse our body’s natural cycles, causing disruptions to our rest and sleep. Likewise, without exposure to cool white lighting during the day, melatonin production can persist throughout the day and decrease our productivity.
Circadian rhythm lighting allows control over colour temperature and can seamlessly synchronise interior lighting with the rise and fall of daylight. This adaptable lighting offers a simple change to our lifestyle that has enormous health benefits by coordinating lighting with our routines, strengthening our productivity and ability to achieve fulfilling rest.
Productivity
On sunny days we feel our alertness and motivation is elevated and on overcast days, we may have lower energy and feel tired. Interior lighting will also affect our productivity, and circadian lighting provides vital flexibility to our home and work environments. The colour temperature of daylight generally starts at 2700K-5000K in the morning and then typically peaks at 5000K-6000K at midday to 3pm. Subsequently, there is a gradual decline in colour temperature, with a rapid decrease in the early evening. Lighting with a colour temperature of 3500K-5000K in workplaces and homes during productive hours, creates a balanced ambience that helps us maintain focus and supports cognitive function.
As we aim to incorporate more flexibility into our work life with working from home measures, it is essential that our homes and workspaces are adaptable as well. Circadian lighting can be tailored to your personal daily routine, set on a timer or be controlled manually, supporting a healthy work-life balance.
Lighting Art, Textures & Materials
The spectrum of colour temperature in lighting can transform the ambience of a space, accentuating colours and textures with cooler or warmer tones. Visual perception can be intensified with circadian lighting, by highlighting vivid colours in art and showcasing natural textures. Cool white lighting enlivens blue and green, cool tones and warm white lighting accentuates red and orange, warm tones. The vibrant warm hues of an artwork can be electrified under warm white lighting and cool white lighting can emphasise the crisp and cool tones in natural stone or timber. Incorporating circadian lighting can help to optimise your home and interior spaces to its fullest potential, enhancing your visual comfort and enjoyment.
Circadian Lighting & DALI
LA Lounge’s circadian or tuneable white light fittings work seamlessly with DALI, allowing for precise individual control that supports the creation of unique lighting scenes. New and emerging technologies such as Bluetooth Automation lighting control also provide intuitive circadian lighting control that elevates our interior spaces. DALI allows fittings to be organised together by colour temperature and dimmed to produce flexible scenes for numerous settings, including home offices, parties and entertainment, intimate dining and cosy evenings. Circadian settings can be programmed with the DALI control system to automatically change throughout the day, mimicking daylight, which not only optimises the ambiance but also enhances energy savings. The adaptability of DALI control has made our circadian lighting range a popular choice for residential, multi-residential, commercial and wellness lighting design projects. Ultimately, when combined with DALI’s superior dimming capabilities, our circadian lighting range delivers an enriching and satisfying lighting experience.
Circadian or CCT colour changing range from 2000K to 7000K, installed in a bathroom to back light the mirror and to float the vanity.
Circadian or CCT LED strip installed in overhead kitchen shelving.
LA Lounge’s Circadian Products
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