Emulate Natural Lighting in Your Home to Combat the Winter Blues

Human-centric lighting is a term that gets tossed around in the smart technology industry a lot, and it’s gaining a lot of buzz for the wellness benefits it can bring into the home. What is human-centric lighting exactly? To put it simply, it’s an LED lighting technology that changes in color temperature and brightness to mimic the different levels of sunlight throughout the day.

As humans, we need adequate sunlight exposure for many reasons, but unfortunately, we spend most of our time indoors with stagnant artificial light—especially during the winter. To combat this, many people are exploring how human-centric lighting can positively impact their day-to-day during this season.

Keep reading to find out the benefits that human-centric lighting can bring to your Jonesboro, AR home.

SEE ALSO: Automation Will Let You Appreciate Lighting in a New Way

Increases Productivity

It can be hard to muster the motivation to tackle the day’s to-do list in the winter when most of us have to wake up while it’s still dark outside. It doesn’t help that cold and dreary weather can leave you feeling tired and wanting to take a nap under a warm blanket in the afternoon.

Numerous studies show that natural light increases productivity, satisfaction, and the well-being of humans. Sometimes the sun doesn’t quite shine the way you need it to during the winter season, so what if optimal natural lighting isn’t an option?

Human-centric lighting allows you to adjust the lighting in your home to be brighter and cooler for reading, working, and helping your children with virtual learning. You’ll experience improved focus, increased productivity, and a boost in energy when you might have otherwise felt drained. Isn’t that reason compelling enough to turn your house into a smart home?

Improves Sleep Quality

The wintertime is when most people tend to come down with the flu or the common cold, so it’s crucial to take care of yourself during this season. A big part of taking care of your health means getting enough sleep!

Our bodies are meant to follow the sun’s natural pattern, and doing so improves the quality of our sleep. By avoiding blue light from your cell phone and laptop in the evening, your body will be able to better produce melatonin at the right time, encouraging restfulness. However, most of us are exposed to blue light for the majority of our days and evenings, making it more difficult to fall asleep.

One of the most beneficial features of human-centric lighting is that it helps individuals wind down before bedtime by gradually dimming and warming to an orange glow. Additionally, you can program your lights to mimic the rising sun in the morning to help you wake up more easily when it’s still dark out.

Boosts Mood

One of the biggest complaints people have during the winter is how their mood is affected once we lose an hour of sunlight in the day—and it’s not a surprise. Roughly half a million Americans experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the wintertime. While the exact causes of SAD are unknown, scientists have reason to believe it’s the lack of sunlight that occurs during the winter, which shifts the circadian cycle.

Many doctors recommend individuals struggling with SAD use lightboxes to ease symptoms because they can trick the brain into thinking it’s being exposed to sunlight. Taking all of that into consideration, human-centric lighting has the potential to help you feel happier and more energetic during the winter.

How HomeTroniX Can Help

Are you considering installing human-centric lighting in your home? HomeTroniX only works with the best manufacturers for human-centric lighting and control, including Colorbeam, Control4, and Crestron. Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to talk with our team about how this cutting-edge technology can enhance your well-being.

We look forward to speaking with you!