Introducing the Latest Home Tech Trend: Human Centric Lighting

When it comes to staying on top of home tech trends, there’s a new kid in town: wellness. Our day-to-day lives are keeping us connected 24/7, putting more emphasis on wellbeing than ever before. One of the key contributors to overall wellness is lighting.

We take for granted the benefits of what lighting can do for us, from regulating our sleep to making us more productive. So, in the absence of summer sunshine, how can we keep that sunny glow all year round?

Human centric lighting – the biophilic design

Inspired by Scandinavian alpine scenes or Arabian nights, biophilic refers to keeping a ‘close connection’ with the outside world. This can be anything from something as simple as natural materials in the home to new developments in lighting.

Human centric lighting effectively mimics the rising and falling of the sun, helping to adjust the intensity of light in the home throughout the day. It’s great for grey days or when you just need a little extra motivation to get out of bed. There’s no need for extra windows – the dynamic colour spectrum does the hard work for you.

What is a dynamic colour spectrum?

We all know the colours of the rainbow. When it comes to sunlight, the dynamic colour spectrum features a variety of colour ‘temperatures’ from red candle flames through to yellow morning suns and clear blue skies. These are all produced with varying wavelengths, while ‘white light’ is a combination of wavelengths.

The difference with human centric lighting is that it can mimic these subtle changes in light temperature. Standard LEDs and fluorescent lights can only produce one single colour temperature, whereas human centric setups can mimic a wide spectrum and ‘warm’ the room.

Creating a more dramatic effect

These subtle balances of colour can make dramatic changes to your home. When adjusted correctly, human centric lighting can highlight colours in fixtures or pieces of art around the home, while changing the mood depending on the setting. Users can create their desired ambience for entertaining or relaxing, tuning in to our natural circadian rhythms.

How does human centric lighting encourage wellness?

Light has a huge effect on our circadian rhythms – our bodies’ natural sleep and waking cycle. As we’re influenced by natural sunlight to signal us that it’s time to start the day, human centric lighting can make us feel more productive and refreshed. Conversely, we can use it to dial down artificial blue lights in the evening, letting us gently get off to sleep without tech distractions.

It’s particularly pertinent during winter when sunlight hours are shorter, giving us a white light burst of energy when we need it most. It can also help to prevent headaches, back pains, eye strain and general fatigue caused by the wrong balance of light.

How does human centric lighting work?

Users can adjust their human centric lighting from a simple Internet of Things device, such as a connected tablet. It can also be automated, for example to gradually build white light in a room in the morning and wind down again at night. All that’s needed is a ‘tuneable’ light source, like a recessed ceiling fixture, and the abovementioned control device. If required, you can even add a variety of colours to your room, from reds to greens, blues and oranges – ideal for entertaining.

Transform your space with SONA

From better sleep to higher concentration levels throughout the day, human centric lighting is the next step in wellness. If you’re not sure where to start, speak to the team at SONA today.