Whether we realize it or not, most people feel more energetic when there’s sunlight and get more relaxed when it’s dark outside. This condition is only natural, as our biological clock is influenced by daylight, or as it is usually called our Circadian Rhythm. This rhythm also determines our sleep cycle and sleep stages, from stage one to stage five, while stage three and four are the deepest sleep, and stage five is a lighter sleep before we get to the awake stage.
The scientific explanation behind our body’s interaction with light is, that when eyes receive light from the sun, the brain’s pineal gland production of melatonin is inhibited and the hormones produced to keep the human awake. When the eyes do not receive light, melatonin is produced in the pineal gland which makes humans feel more relaxed.
With that in mind, setting the right lighting at the right time could help you improve your sleeping and waking up process throughout the day!
Starting from the waking-up light, the aim is to increase the light intensity gradually, while also changing the hue from red to a cooler color, mimicking a sunrise. This lighting could help bring you into a lighter phase of sleep. The reasoning behind this is, that when you wake up in a lighter phase of sleep, not only it’s easier to wake up, but you will also feel rested, energetic, and bright.
Meanwhile, for sleeping light, the aim is to reduce the light level in the evening to help you get better sleep. Gradually dimming down the light level at the night, and avoiding the use of screens in bed before sleep, will help you get better sleeping quality. The reason why to avoid too much light source, especially blue light emitted by your screen, is because it suppresses the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, and makes it more difficult to fall asleep.
You can achieve this wake-up and sleep light function by using a special light with a built-in alarm and clock, or by using smart light that has been programmed to function as a sleep and wake-up light. Now that you know what it takes to set your sleep and wake-up light, it’s up to you to implement them in your house!