FAQ: Everything You Should Know About Circadian Lighting Systems

Light has always played a vital role in our day-to-day lifestyles. It offers comfort, convenience and safety. From the moment you wake up in the morning until you get into bed at night, light provides a guiding hand. Tunable lighting, and circadian lighting systems specifically, take its benefits to the next level by offering solutions that boost your well-being as well. How does circadian lighting do that? Explore the basics behind circadian lighting and how to use it in your Greenwich, CT home below.

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What is Circadian Lighting?

Humans need sunlight for their overall well being in a variety of ways. Sunlight encourages the brain to release serotonin, which helps to boost your mood and mental well-being. Most importantly, sunlight changes hues throughout the day to send cues to your brain. It has cooler, bright lights in the morning that inspire activity. Warmer tones in the evening that help with relaxation.               

The problem is that humans now spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors. Less time spent outside means less exposure to sunlight, which plays a vital role in regulating our sleep cycles and mental health. One-tone fluorescent or LED lights can't compete with dynamic sunlight. That’s where circadian lighting steps in. It adjusts hues throughout the day to mimic sunlight, so you enjoy its benefits even if you’re not outdoors, if it is cloudy out, or as the days shorten in the winter.

What Are the Benefits?

The reason it's so important to keep your circadian rhythm in check is that it regulates your sleep cycles. Having one-tone lighting throughout the day—or the wrong light at a given time—will make it harder to fall asleep, wake up alert or sleep consistently throughout the night.

Circadian lighting systems can also simulate particular moods. Say, for example, that your children are trying to do their homework after school. If you stick with typical warm evening light, they might grow tired quickly and lose focus. Instead, you can use some cooler white tones that encourage concentration.  

How Do You Control It?

Now we get to one of the most critical aspects of your circadian lighting system: How exactly are you adjusting color temperature? In most cases, we recommend a hands-off approach based on timers or schedules. That way, your tunable lighting naturally progresses throughout the day, just like the sunlight, without your having to do anything.

As we mentioned above, there may be times when you want to break off from that natural progression. In that case, your circadian lighting system includes intuitive controls in the forms of touchpads, mobile apps or elegant keypads. Adjust as needed throughout the day or create smart scenes you can pull up at the touch of a button with the ideal settings for homework, cleaning or relaxation.

Want to learn more about circadian lighting and how to bring it into your home? Contact our lighting experts by calling (914) 921-0099, filling out our contact form, or chatting with us below.