LED light bulbs have not only been proven to be more energy-efficient than both incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, but they have also been shown to provide physiological and psychological benefits to those consistently around its glow. When at home, it is important to have the proper lighting that promotes these positive health benefits. Home is where most of your family’s time is spent and acts as a place to relax and decompress. Having less than adequate lighting can impede that process of relaxation and instead serve to irritate and hinder your development. Below is a list of the major health benefits of LED lighting in the home.
LED Lights Help Regulate Sleep
Fatigue and a lack of alertness during the day can be traced back to a deficiency of vitamin D in the human body. The main source of vitamin D in a person is exposure to sun rays. This exposure also carries blue wavelengths from the sun that suppress melatonin in the body, the chief chemical that is responsible for muscle relaxation and drowsiness.
Advancements in commercial LED light bulbs have made it possible to simulate the rays of the sun. This is able to help those in environments where the sun is down or obscured or in those with natural vitamin D deficiencies. Being exposed to LED blue wavelengths can promote alertness in the body and fight off fatigue. LEDs also have improved lighting controls compared to older styles of bulbs, giving the user the ability to raise and lower the amount of light they desire to a far greater degree than before. This can also result in lowering the blue wavelength to increase the amount of melatonin in the body, resulting in sleep coming easier at night. This usage of LEDs promotes regular and healthy sleeping patterns for those with trouble getting to bed at night or staying awake throughout the day.
LED Lights are Harmless
While able to simulate the rays of the sun, LED bulbs do not give off the harmful UV radiation lights of the sun. To be exposed to LED lighting is safe and is not a cause of cancer or any other sickness.
LED lights also do not contain any mercury in them, like incandescent and fluorescent lights. Mercury, which can cause damage to the nervous system, lungs, eyes, and skin, is not made in the construction of LEDs. There are also no other harmful toxins that you can be exposed to with LED light bulbs.
LED Light Relieves Stress
Much in the same way that LEDs can help regulate sleep patterns, they can also aid in the regulation of other bodily chemicals. Due to a lack of sunlight and the deficiency of vitamin D that results, humans can experience Seasonal Affective Disorder that leads to stress, anxiety, and depression, among other symptoms. This disorder is caused in large part due to the decrease of sunlight and less time spent outside when going from summer to autumn to winter.
As mentioned previously, LEDs have the ability to simulate the rays of the sun and can even be given different colored lighting to help add to this effect. This mimicry aids in the regulation of the chemicals in the brain and helps to alleviate the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder and those with other mood-altering disorders.
LED Lights Decrease Headaches
Inconsistent lighting or flickering lights can cause people to experience headaches and migraines. This problem is amplified in those who already have a sensitivity to light. With incandescent and fluorescent lights, it is difficult to control the amount of light they give off. Trying to do so can regularly result in them constantly flickering when not kept in their brightest state. This, even if there is only a subtle flicker, will be picked up by the retinas and cause headaches due to the ever-changing lighting conditions.
LEDs, by contrast, are much easier to control and are built to be brightened and dimmed at will. The installation of LED lights corrects the issue of flickering and gives off a smoother and far more consistent light source. This eases the eyes and helps those prone to headaches be able to relax to a greater degree in their home.
LED Lights Motivate Productivity and Learning
In studies done in corporate offices, it was found that productivity increased once LED lights were installed to replace old fluorescent lights. This result of increased productivity and learning are in large part due to the factors mentioned previously. LEDs have an effect on the mind and body that relaxes and soothes. This creates a comfortable environment for one to study in peace or to work on projects without disturbance. The lights, if kept on the correct setting, increase alertness and raise energy to focus. LEDs do not flicker, which gets rid of the distraction of changing light and the irritation of headaches.
Standard incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs also give off a low buzzing noise that can act as a distraction to those within close proximity. LEDs do not give off any such noise once turned on and provides a soundless space to work in.
Another contributing factor to this environment that has not yet been mentioned is that LEDs do not generate as much heat as incandescent and fluorescent lights. This keeps the room cooler for longer and does not bother those who are busy and concentrating. This also helps when multiple people are in a room, as there is already heat being generated in great quantities, but the LEDs do not contribute to it like other light bulbs.
LED lights have shown themselves to be more efficient and reliable than bulbs of the past, and there has been shown to be health benefits of LED lighting in the home in recent years. The installation of LED lighting in the house can give you and your family more energy during the day and better sleep at night. They also offer a space to come home to and relax without the worry of interruption from faulty lighting or other irritants that result from older light bulbs. They can provide these benefits without the risk of exposing you or your family to the harmful toxins that can be found in past light bulbs.
