IF you have ever wondered about which lightbulb is right for your home, you’re not alone – here’s how to choose.
When buying lightbulbs for your home, you probably don’t take much into consideration outside of wattage.
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However, there are many benefits to selecting the right lightbulb for your specific needs.
For example, the right hues can promote alertness in the daytime or relaxation in the nighttime.
Below we have compiled a number of helpful tips when shopping for lightbulbs.
CHECK WATTAGE
Wattage refers to the amount of energy a lightbulb uses. The lower the watts, the less electricity a bulb expends to stay lit.
In energy-efficient lightbulbs, you can get the same amount of light by using fewer watts.
If you use LED bulbs, then you should be looking at the number of lumens instead of watts.
Furthermore, every light fixture has its own wattage requirements, so you need to check for that to best optimize a bulb.
CHECK HUES
A second mistake people make when getting lightbulbs is getting the wrong hues.
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Overly warm lights can make your space feel too dark, while overly cool hues can your home feel like a hospital.
If you want to go for a soft white bulb (which is a warm and yellow hue) you need to get a bulb between 2,700 to 3,000 Kelvin.
Warm whites feature 3,000 to 4,000 Kelvin and are more yellowish-white.
Bright white is 4,000 to 5,000 Kelvin and sits between white and blue tones.
Lastly, there is daylight (5,000 to 6,500 Kelvin) which has a bluish hue.
If you’re not sure which one is best suited for your needs, you can always get smart lights that utilize Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Smart lights
Not only are smart lights more inexpensive than traditional lightbulbs, but they also fill your home with fun-colored lighting.
“Exposure to different colors of light at various times within the sleep-wake cycle can be one way of helping to facilitate better quality rest and a nifty way to bio-hack your sleep,” neurobiologist and head of research at Emma sleep, Dr. Verena Senn told T3.
“Our circadian rhythm is a central circuit that is sensitive to light, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which controls the production of the hormones that support us when we sleep and when we wake,” Dr. Senn added.
Red hues to help you sleep
According to one study, basking in red light in the hours before bed can support a healthier sleep.
“The study showed the effectiveness of red light therapy exposure in increasing melatonin levels – a hormone associated with controlling sleep – and boosting the quality of sleep,” Dr. sen said.
Cool hues for the morning
Cooler hues, found on the blue light spectrum, mimic the morning sun which can promote a feeling of alertness throughout the day.
Furthermore, Dr. Senn said that “in the morning, exposure to bright, colder-colored light – such as morning sunlight – will actually aid sleep later that night.”
Blue light throughout the daytime
Blue light – the kind emitted from your phone or laptop screen – can disrupt your sleep cycle, many studies have shown.
“[Blue light] will disrupt your melatonin production, making it more difficult to fall asleep,” Dr. Senn said.
Therefore, it’s best to limit your usage of these devices to the daytime only.
