Research in the sleep area has experienced explosive growth over recent years, with questions about technology, blue light and natural circadian rhythms being at the forefront. Light and darkness have a decisive effect on how we sleep, whether we sleep and whether we wake up rested. Therefore, we generally also sleep for a shorter time in the summer because we wake up as the sun rises, while in the winter it can be physically impossible to force the body into an awake state. We will teach you more about it in this blog post. You will learn about how light affects your sleep and how you can create the best conditions for a successful night's sleep - both in winter and in summer.
Why darkness and light are the most important factors for the circadian rhythm
Basically, the body is set up in such a way that it produces the sleep hormone melatonin when we sleep. That's how it's always been, but many years ago research revealed an important factor behind the natural release of melatonin: darkness. This also basically means that your body has to work a thousand times harder to produce a feeling of sleepiness if it is not dark when you go to sleep. When we wake up earlier in summer than in winter, it is also because the sun rises earlier, which means that melatonin production stops earlier than in winter. If you therefore have difficulty falling asleep, you should consider blackout curtains and, above all, ensure that you are not buried in the light from your mobile phone just before you go to sleep.
Circadian lighting is a game changer – both for private individuals and businesses
Hoping to improve and stabilize people's sleep quality across dark and light seasons, circadian rhythm lighting has hit the market. Circadian lighting is based on how light affects our energy level, our ability to sleep and our ability to wake up. Circadian lighting is therefore built with the aim of recreating the beneficial effects that we find in natural light, which tells us when to sleep, when to wake up and when to work. Today, you will find circadian rhythm lighting in various hospitals, care homes, institutions, and private homes, where you will experience that the light changes with the passage of the day. It therefore starts with light that mimics a gentle sunrise, then strong daylight and finally a dark and warm lighting.
It should help tell your body – regardless of the season – when you need to produce melatonin and when you don't. Therefore, circadian rhythm lighting has also had a great impact on workplaces where work is done at night. Here you can manipulate the amount of light and therefore add the necessary energy needed to work at night.
