Before the harnessing of electricity, artificial light was expensive, and therefore relatively scarce. Over the last 100 years or so, the cost of lighting our world has become negligible, which has had enormous economic consequences. The home and the workplace became safer, factories increased productivity, and social activities extended late into the night.

Humans Need Natural Light

Unfortunately, there was one significant negative impact that only recently has begun to be understood. Our bodies have adapted to natural light, yet many of us spend the vast majority of our day indoors under artificial light. Most people understand that there are health benefits to natural light, but it may come as a surprise that the absence of it is actively harmful to our bodies.

What is it about natural light that is so important to our bodies? Our bodies are controlled by 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms, and they affect us physically, mentally, and behaviorally. Circadian rhythms control when our bodies signal us to sleep, wake, eat, and more. The way our bodies keep up with these daily rhythms is largely based on exposure to the sun. As the sun rises and moves across the sky each day, the intensity and color of the light changes in a consistent and repeatable way. That daily sequence helps our bodies reset our circadian clock so that it runs in time with the rest of the world. If we don’t get these clues from the sun our 24-hour cycle drifts, it’s harder for us to sleep or wake, and leads to lost productivity and a broad range of health consequences, including obesity, heart disease, and more.

Manufacturers Like Ketra Create Lighting That Looks and Acts Natural

A new technology, being pioneered by companies like Ketra, USAI, and WAC, is known as human-centric lighting, and it focuses on mimicking natural light inside our homes and workplaces. By allowing our bodies to spend more time under light that is accurately following natural light in color and intensity, we can see a dramatic improvement in things like happiness, quality of sleep, and productivity.

Human-centric lighting also has several other benefits. Automatically matching the color of the sun in your home simply looks beautiful. It gives the sense that your entire home is being perfectly lit by the sun. Additionally, Ketra offers a feature called “brilliance.” Brilliance allows Ketra light to be tuned at the touch of a button to make colors, such as those in clothing, furniture and artwork, to look bold and vibrant.

If you are looking for a way to make your current or future home or office more healthful, beautiful, and enjoyable, don’t hesitate to call BRAVAS today.