Lighting is an integral part of architectural design and significantly impacts the way we experience spaces. Since the advent of computers and information technology, most people spend the majority of their time indoors- working, studying, eating, sleeping, and conducting other daily activities. In such a scenario, artificial lighting plays an important role in maintaining the psychological as well as physical well-being of humans. Circadian lighting is an advanced technological system that has been specifically developed with these aspects at the forefront. Read on to discover the circadian meaning, what circadian lighting is, how it works, and its benefits to humankind.
Circadian Rhythm Meaning
In order to define circadian lights, it is important to first understand what a circadian rhythm is. The daily or 24-hour cycle followed by a human body is referred to as the circadian rhythm. Various bodily functions, including sleep cycles, appetite and digestion, release of hormones, and temperature regulation, are controlled by the ‘biological clock’ of the body during a 24-hour timeline. Factors such as physical activity, sleeping patterns, stress, climate, food intake, and mental well-being all have major impacts on the circadian rhythm of a body, which in turn affects the overall health of a human being.
What are Circadian Rhythm Lights?
One of the major factors that affect the circadian rhythm in humans is light. Signals received by the eye through light indicate to the brain whether it is daytime or nighttime, thereby directly controlling the biological clock of a body. Since most people now spend the majority of their time indoors, the natural movements and light of the sun have a lower impact on the human body than artificial indoor lights. Circadian lighting thus seeks to control the biological clock by mimicking natural light and reducing the adverse effects of electricity on the human mind. Such lighting is a part of advanced technology that aims to regulate the circadian rhythm in humans.
What Lighting Factors Affect the Circadian Rhythm in Humans?
When light enters the eye, it affects the production of several hormones in the body, such as melatonin, serotonin, and cortisol, which in turn have impacts on the body’s circadian rhythm. Some of the aspects of light that influence this cycle are:
- Duration to Light Exposure
Circadian cycles are stimulated by the time periods during which the body is exposed to light. When subjected to higher durations of light during the day, the body becomes less responsive and sensitive to it during the night, allowing us to fall asleep easier and vice versa.
- Lighting Habits
The human body is accustomed to different amounts and intensities of light throughout a day’s time, affecting our internal clock. For example, lights are generally switched off at night to allow the body to rest and fall asleep. Switching on bright lights at this time can reduce the amount of melatonin produced, causing an increased alertness and resistance to sleep.
- Light Sensitivity
The physical or visual portion of our body responds to light differently when compared to the biological portion. For instance, the eye is most sensitive to ‘blue light’, whose wavelength is around 450 nm, while the circadian system is most sensitive to light wavelengths around 550 nm.
Factors Controlled by Circadian Lighting
- Colour of Light
Light fittings are generally available in three colours- white, warm white, and yellow. However, circadian lights change their colour to mimic natural lighting colours during the course of a day to send specified signals to the brain. The Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) settings target the production of melatonin and melanopsin and help regulate circadian rhythms.
- Intensity of Light
For each colour of light set by a circadian light, its intensity is also adjusted to regulate biological cycles efficiently. The intensity of light is typically higher during the day and reduces drastically at night to allow our bodies to wind down and rest.
- Lighting Times and Temperature
Circadian lights imitate the natural environment- they are brighter during the day and become dimmer at night. Natural light temperature typically varies between 5500-6500K during a day’s time and circadian lights emulate this in their functioning.
How Do Circadian Lights Differ From Smart/ Adjustable Lights?
A major difference between circadian lights and smart lights is their objective. While smart lights aim to enhance the physical comfort of human beings through automation and/or remote control, circadian lights seek to regulate the internal clock and subsequently the overall health of a person. Smart lights can be adjusted to accommodate different activities at a particular time, such as sleeping, reading, eating and working. Circadian lights, on the other hand, are used to tell the body when exactly to undertake these very activities during a day’s cycle. Circadian optics are designed to signal the body to follow the natural biological clock with respect to the movements of the Earth around the sun (i.e, the natural lighting cycle). Although most circadian lights incorporate technology to be ‘smart’ lights, not all smart lights are necessarily circadian.
Advantages of Circadian Lighting
Including circadian lights in a building offers various benefits, such as:
- Regulated Body Cycles
Abnormal sleep cycles and circadian rhythm in humans can lead to health issues such as obesity, depression, breast cancer, diabetes, and insomnia. Incorporating circadian lights in homes and workspaces helps regulate the body cycle to follow natural timelines and processes, reducing the risk of such issues.
- Increased Productivity
Research has indicated that using Human Centric Lighting, especially circadian lights, has significant positive impacts on alertness and concentration. A resultant increase in work productivity and satisfaction levels has also been observed.
- Psychological Wellbeing
Lighting that simulates a natural environment, i.e, circadian lighting, helps in the transmission of positive signals to the brain. These create feelings of continued peace, tranquility, and happiness, leading to an overall enhancement in the psychological well-being of humans.
- Physical Wellbeing
Many types of LED lights have been proven to cause discomfort and harm to the eyes, especially when used at night. Prolonged exposure to such lights can also disrupt the secretion of melatonin (a hormone which regulates sleep cycles), leading to poor health. Circadian lighting, on the other hand, is designed to enhance physical health and has notable positive impacts on it, such as reduction in fatigue and better sleep.
- Building Certifications
Circadian lighting is a form of Human Centric Lighting (HCL), meaning that it is developed to boost the overall wellbeing of humans. Human centric design is a major aspect of sustainability and numerous organisations consider its inclusion to be essential for providing green building certifications. Thus, including circadian lighting and HCL in a building can be a significant factor for achieving such certifications.
Types of Circadian Light Fittings
Circadian lights are generally available in three forms, which are:
- Ceiling Lights: These provide uniform lighting across a room and can either be ceiling mounted or recessed in a roof slab. Ceiling lights typically have the maximum impact on circadian rhythms owing to their wide reach in a space.
- Wall Lights: Commonly used for providing ambient lighting, wall lights can influence the general mood and atmosphere of a room, leading to changes in bodily aspects like hormone production and responsiveness.
- Table Lamps: Usually used as focus lights for specific purposes such as working, studying, or cooking, table lamps can have a big impact on attention spans, productivity and concentration levels.
Lighting for the Future
Circadian lighting is a technology that is still in the process of development, although new strides are being made in the field every day. Such technologies are made to enrich the lives of people, while providing various mental and physical health benefits. Incorporating these innovations in the spaces we inhabit every day can aid in making our lives longer and more wholesome.
Brick & Bolt is a leading construction company in India with 4,500+ completed projects. Being tech-enabled, the company utilises advanced technology and quality control processes to build innovative homes. Contact Brick & Bolt today to bring the vision of your dream home to life!