Have you ever wondered why some days you feel energetic and positive, while other days seem like a constant battle against fatigue and gloom? Or why during the winter months, when the days get shorter, you sometimes experience an unexplained sadness?
The Importance of Light
In our lives, we need light to see, but beyond that important aspect, light also plays a role in regulating our sleep rhythm and is actually the foundation of our life. Our body must constantly synchronize with the natural environment, which is why we need light and darkness at certain times of the day. The body requires a good balance between light and dark.
Research shows that light has a direct influence on parts of our brain linked to our alertness and cognition. This means that exposure of our eyes to bright light for 20 to 30 minutes can reduce our feeling of sleepiness and improve reaction time.
Exposure of light to our eyes clearly has an effect on our body. In the morning, light causes an increase in the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is indispensable in the body to function properly. It controls the body's stress responses and helps you feel fit and protects the body against the effects of illness, injury, or stress. When our body is exposed to a stressful situation, an extra high cortisol level is needed to stay upright. At night, exposure to light causes an increase in body temperature and heart rate and a decrease in the amount of melatonin (the sleep hormone). When the body is exposed to sufficient daylight, the sleep hormone decreases and the level of serotonin (the happiness hormone) rises. And vice versa... When the sleep hormone rises, the happiness hormone falls. In short, the less daylight, the less ‘happy’ feeling.
Light not only affects what we see but also how we feel and function. Discover how daylight lamps can reset your biological clock and improve your energy and mood.
Your Biological Clock
Our biological clock is an important aspect of our health. This part of your brain regulates all the traffic in our body and maintains a 24-hour rhythm. If this clock is disrupted, damage can occur in your body. A well-functioning biological clock is therefore essential for good health. With a daylight lamp, it is possible to get your biological clock back on track and prevent, among other things, a disturbed sleep rhythm.
Morning Light and Darkness
We need morning light and darkness for a good sleep rhythm, which means a good night’s rest and an energetic day. You probably notice yourself that you have more energy when you have slept well and it is a beautiful sunny day. If it is dark during the day, this can lead to gloomy feelings and thus to a winter dip during the dark months of the year.
For people who suffer from winter blues, in short seasonal affective changes, bright light especially in the morning can improve mood. The bright light can counteract the lack of energy with just 20 to 30 minutes. Bright light (artificial light or sunlight) proves to be very effective for mood swings during the dark times of the year.
More Energy Through Light
When bright light enters through our eyes, we become more alert and less sleepy. This makes us feel more energetic. As long as it is dark outside, our eyes are set to darkness. A low light intensity from the daylight lamp can then be enough to activate your body. If you feel sleepy during the day, increase the lamp’s light intensity. This will increase your alertness.
Blue or White Light?
When talking about a daylight lamp, we refer to bright white light and blue light. But when do you use which color and at what time of day? The best effect of light depends on the color combined with the right timing.
White light contains all colors of the light spectrum, including a fraction of blue light. Blue light is best for regulating our biological clock. Your energy level increases. Note that blue light can disrupt your sleep. For this reason, it is advised to use blue light mainly in the morning if you have trouble getting up.
Disruptions of the biological clock are caused, among other things, by a lot of bright light in the evening, for example from smartphones or tablets, but also for people who work night shifts or have jet lag from flying through different time zones. If you are very tired early in the evening, exposure to bright light can be effective again.
Exposure to light during the day provides more energy and a better mood. The more blue the white light contains, the less light is needed for a response. Exposure of the eyes to a large amount of blue light is not necessary, so make sure you do not look directly into the light and do not use it longer than the recommended 30 minutes.
Liroma’s daylight lamps pose no risks for normal and healthy eyes. The screen is equally bright everywhere and contains the same concentration. Additionally, the lamp is UV-free.
