LED is artificial lighting that isn’t quite up to par with natural sunlight. However, they are still excellent sources of light that illuminate indoor space. Unlike incandescent and fluorescent lights, LED lights are far brighter, present objects in their natural color, and create a productive environment. Many people will see LED lighting in their offices and homes as pure white. Few know that there is a slight tinge of blue light, which is the driving force behind the alertness effect. But how does LED lighting keep you alert and productive?
What Keeps us Awake?
Blue light suppresses our production of melatonin, the substance that helps us sleep at night. Sun rays are rich in blue light, which is how we humans evolved to be active during the day and less so at night. We are more awake when our eyes absorb more light and less melatonin is produced.
Melanopsin is the primary cell group in our eyes that are sensitive to blue light. Outside of the familiar rods and cones, this photoreceptor reports the amount of blue light back to our brain. Triggering the melanopsin in our eyes is key to keeping us alert. It leads to improved cognitive performance, decision-making, and productivity.
Where can we find Blue Light?
Use of LED flat screen TVs, monitors, and smartphones have been proven to keep users up at night. They are sometimes considered windows of artificial daylight due to their levels of blue light. A University of Basel investigation discovered that volunteers exposed to 5 hours of an LED backlit screen felt less tired and performed better on attention tests than those exposed to fluorescent-lit screens.
To get this level of alertness, it makes sense to extend this effect to your home, office or warehouse lighting. Sufficient levels of blue light can be found in many LED light fixtures you are familiar with such as LED flat panels, which give off a 5000K white output.
You cannot overstate the benefits of LED lighting. Its blue-enriched white lights not only improve productivity but also ensures the safety of surgeons and patients. You can utilize LED lighting’s many advantages by exploring Hykolity LED troffers and other solutions today.
