If your natural curiosity about the effect of lighting on your health has been aroused, I encourage you to check out the new video series produced by the LIghting Research Center at RPI. Each of these videos run a couple of minutes. They cover a range of related topics starting with an overview of how throwing off your circadian rhythm with too much or too little light at certain times of day can hurt your health.

Here is a link to the first video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noJnpGmWEPk&list=PL_X9RKGy9RIZmgzoJwHZsQmpPW6O1fLu3&index=2&t=0s

Unlike many of the commercial lighting company web sites touting the benefits of their “white-tunable” lighting systems, the director of the LRC Mariana Figuero provides a thorough explanation of how our bodies are adapted to require light. Getting a few hours a week of outdoor time in the morning, which is my favorite way to get my daily dosage of UV, is an excellent way of getting the light we need. And its free.

The rationale behind concept of Circadian Stimulus (CS) is presented in the 2nd video, and a description of how to use LRC’s CS calculator is in video 3.

The takeaway, as I see it, of the first of these videos, is the importance of being mindful about our lighting. The link between inadequate daytime lighting and poor sleep may not be obvious to people who spend most of their time indoors. The media has brought various issues about night lighting to our attention, but the flip side of the coin is equally important. Let’s get the conversation started, and look for more ways to improve our well-being by being conscious about how and when we get our daily doses of sunshine and electric light.