No one (or at least very few) would argue that light affects one’s state of mind. Imagine a city street at night with no lights only the scant glow of the moon reflecting off of the wet street and store windows. Deep shadows encompass stairwells and alleys. Now imagine the same street as a well lit shopping district. Streetlights glow overhead and ambient light spills from store windows illuminating passageways and vestibules.
Most would agree that these two scenarios create different thoughts and feelings just due to the presence and/or absence of light. To a lesser degree, lighting that is optimized can relieve the small micro-stresses humans experience daily by creating spaces where visual tasks are easily accomplished and circadian rhythms are accounted for allowing for more restful sleep.
Science, through more refined research and because of emerging LED technology, is now able to help us understand more precisely the role lighting plays in our overall health.
The biggest breakthroughs to date have come from research involving Alzheimer’s Patients. The results have shown the the more precise application of light and dark in accordance with patients natural circadian rhythms has resulted in improvements in sleep patterns, depression and agitation which can plague Alzheimer’s Patients and result in an overall increase in symptoms. Through research such as this we will discover new ways to optimize the human experience through lighting as we are just getting started.
