Masters of Health Magazine March 2018 | Page 90

Due to this limitation of artificial lighting contribution compared to natural daylight, we need extra artificial blue light in the morning for proper signaling of the ipRGC. The only way to get the right physiological contribution from artificial light, is to increase the exposition to the blue component at the right wavelengths (bluish sunrises are another industry fairytale, and in a future article we will discuss the blue light myth, better be exposed to blue than become depressed).

As a conclusion, there are three main basic light/lighting contributors to healthy sleep, that can be achieved with adequate lighting systems and habits:

1.Avoid bright light exposure two to three hours before going to sleep, particularly bluish light. If needed, promote dim warm white or amber light (blue-depleted light).

2.Avoid any kind of light exposure during your sleep period. It is not only about sleep quantity (in hours), but about sleep quality. Melatonin, also called the sleep/restorative hormone, is antagonist with light. If you are exposed to light at night, your melatonin levels will be lower than in total darkness (quality of sleep is even more important than sleep duration/quantity).

3.Be exposed to bright light in the morning to wake up properly. Keep in mind that our sleep healthy habits begin sixteen hours before we go to bed. We are used to dawn, with dark/light transition periods of around twenty to thirty minutes, and gradual exposure to bright light is more appropriate than sudden bright light. Automatic shades can become very helpful for this purpose.

I hope that these basic recommendations will raise awareness about the substantial interaction between light and health, and will contribute to improve your sleep hygiene, and ultimately your well-being, wellness and health. And sleep hygiene through lighting is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce the burden of healthcare costs.