Getting enough quality sleep is essential for optimal health and productivity. Poor sleep can lead to an array of health and wellness concerns. Good sleep starts with the right environment. The lighting in your bedroom can have a huge impact on how well you sleep. To optimize your sleep, having the correct lighting is critical.
Lighting affects the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which is essential for good sleep. It may be surprising, but the low-level light that we experience in the evening hours is actually beneficial. This type of light helps to regulate our body’s internal clock and can even help us fall asleep faster.
When choosing the best type of lighting for optimal sleep it is important to remember two things: brightness and color temperature. It is better to have dim, warm light in the evening hours and bright light during the day. This will help keep our body’s natural circadian rhythm in check.
Brightness of Lighting for Sleep
It is important to keep the brightness of your bedroom lighting to a minimum. Dim lights help our bodies produce melatonin, which is a hormone that is important for good sleep. Bright lights can disrupt this hormone, making it harder to fall asleep. Avoid blue light as much as possible at night, as this type of light severely inhibits melatonin production.
It is also beneficial to install a dimmer switch to give yourself more control over the brightness of your bedroom at night. This will allow you to adjust the lighting to your preference to ensure optimal sleep.
Color Temperature of Lighting for Sleep
The color temperature of your lighting is also important. The best type of lighting for sleep has a low color temperature. Choose lighting with a warm color temperature such as orange, yellow, or red. These colors will not disrupt your body’s natural sleep/wake cycle as much as cooler colors.
Stay away from cool colored lighting such as white or blue. These types of lighting inhibit the production of melatonin and can make it harder to fall asleep. Reducing the blue light exposure at night will help you sleep better.
If you are using a lightbulb, make sure the lumens (or brightness) is low. This will help keep your bedroom from becoming too bright. A good rule of thumb is to keep the lumens below 500 and the color temperature at 3000K or below.
Best Lighting Options for Sleep
- CFL or LED lightbulbs – look for bulbs with a warm color temperature and a low lumens output.
- Dimmer switches – these give you full control over the brightness of your bedroom lights.
- Candles – help to create a warm, inviting atmosphere with low light.
- Salt lamps – give a subtle orange glow that helps to reduce stress and lower anxiety.
- String lights – perfect for draping over headboards or around room edges.
Conclusion
Choosing the right lighting for your bedroom can have a huge impact on your sleep quality. By selecting light with a low lumens output and warm color temperature, you can create the perfect environment for good sleep every night.