9 Lighting Mistakes That Are Holding Your Interior Design Hostage February 22, 2017 00:00

Have you invested an enormous amount of time and effort into your interior design only to have your home still feeling, well, not quite right?

Beautiful furniture, stunning décor, and a spacious layout? Sure, but despite all this, the design still seems just a bit off.

Can’t put your finger on what it is?

Your home might actually be suffering from one of these 9 common lighting mistakes. Have a look at the list below and find out how to bring out your home’s natural beauty with great lighting!

Not taking advantage of natural light

One of the most common mistakes when it comes to home lighting is not taking advantage of natural light.

It’s interior design rule #1 that you should always use natural light when you can and that means relocating bulky furniture and opening those curtains, no matter how great they may look.

Besides the energy cost savings associated with natural light, there are also a host of other benefits to incorporating the sun’s rays into your interior lighting, from improved sleep and productivity to an overall better mood.

Too much/little light for the space

This mistake might seem obvious when you think about it but you’d be astonished at how often it’s still ignored in the real world. When deciding how to light your home, you need to be aware of how much space you are trying to fill.

Recessed lighting, for example, can mean an effective way to light a kitchen but its use in a high-ceiling entryway might make your home appear dark and brooding.

Think of light as an actual resource, with each fixture providing its own, particular amount of light. Instead of the typical “4 light sources per room”, try to look at the lighting needs of a room as a unique puzzle with its own specific lighting solution. What may work in one area simply won’t in another!

Wrong lighting type for the room

Along with determining a room’s specific brightness needs, you’ll also have to be thinking about the “feel” of the room you want to get across. Using row upon row of recessed lighting in the kitchen (another mistake we’ll get to later) is one thing, but doing so in your bedroom is entirely different.

Use soft, ambient light for rooms that you think should have a more welcoming, comfortable atmosphere and some of the more structured lighting choices for more task-oriented spaces. 

Light temperature

This tip goes hand in hand with the last one: make sure your lighting temperature matches the mood of the space.

Light temperature has an enormous impact on just what kind of vibe a room gives off. Traditional incandescent bulbs have a softer kind of light, usually referred to as “warm”. Fluorescent and halogen bulbs, on the other hand, tend to give off a “cool” blue light that isn’t quite as welcoming. Knowing the difference between “warm” and “cool” light, and how to use each effectively, can do wonders for your interior design.

Even if your bedroom is only lit by table fixtures and standing lamps, the warmth of the area can be completely negated simply by having a “cool” light source. Luckily, incorporating smart bulbs into your design scheme can entirely bypass this design hiccup as most will let you choose precisely what kind of light the bulb gives off, giving you access to the entire light temperature spectrum, right from your smart device. Technology!

Image by Kanakiakanjurmarg wikinews via Wikimedia

Overdoing recessed lighting

Recessed lighting is a wonderful thing. It’s clean, effective, and is getting cheaper by the day. And while it’s becoming the top lighting fixture used in modern home design today, it’s also becoming more common to go a bit overboard with this particular type of fixture, in kitchens especially.

Relying entirely on recessed lighting to meet your illumination needs can be problematic because these sources are highly directional. A lamp, for instance, tends to disperse light in a variety of directions. Recessed lighting though, will often be more focused, brightening only a small area directly below.

The problem with this type of lighting is it doesn’t shed light on vertical surfaces (e.g. cabinets, refrigerators, walls, etc.) as well. This can lead to a high contrast kitchen with bright counters and dark cabinetry despite a large number of overhead lights. What’s more, direct lighting alone has been shown to have some pretty nasty subconscious side effects as well.

Not enough layering

A great way to combat the high contrast shadows mentioned above is by layering your light. This technique is an effective way to give your rooms not only proper illumination but also complexity and depth that will really bring your décor to life.

There are three types of lighting: ambient, accent, and task. A living room, for example, should include enough ambient light to get around, accent lighting to bring the eye to particularly impressive design elements like sculptures or paintings, and task lighting for reading for instance.  

Getting task lighting right

Proper task lighting means really stopping to think about what the space will be used for. Lighting from above, for example, can be great for, say, chopping up vegetables. But when it comes to putting on makeup in the morning, this same kind of light can create shadows on your face in the bathroom mirror.

So, take the time to think about what the light is being used for. It’ll save you from a lot of unnecessary hassle down the line and it’ll add a bit of variety to your design scheme too!

Neglecting the power of dimmers

Dimmers, dimmers, dimmers! What more can we say? Dimmers give you a level of flexibility and control that few other lighting features can offer. They can transform a brightly lit, task-oriented space into a welcoming room you just never want to leave. And all at a moment’s notice!

Smart bulbs make this feature even more accessible as many feature the ability to dim the bulb directly. That means you get to avoid the hassle of installing a dimmer switch and you can even control the bulb right from your phone! Talk about convenience.

Underusing portable fixtures

And last but not least is the underutilization of portable fixtures. As we mentioned earlier, permanent lighting like recessed lights are becoming all the rage and, frankly, that’s unfortunate. Portable fixtures like desk and standing lamps have so much to offer!

Besides the typical warmth and homey feel that these lighting elements bright to a room, they also give you two design elements in one: both light output and fixture design. Let’s see recessed lighting do that!

Let us know what you think!

What other lighting mistakes in home décor have you seen? How has fixing these lighting problems changed the design of your home? Let us know in the comment section below and increase your design flexibility with the Flux Smart product line!

How To Light Your Home Office For Maximum Productivity February 15, 2017 00:00

Whether you are getting a bit of work done from home over the weekend or your job lets you work remotely every day of the week, when your workplace is in your own home it seems like simply staying focused on the task at hand is a challenge.

That’s why when it comes to boosting productivity from your home workspace, you need to take all the help you can get. You’ve already got down the basics; noise cancelling headphones, putting your cell on silent, and physically separating yourself from distractions (e.g. television, family members, pets, etc.) are all great ways to keep yourself focused. But there are a few other powerful ways of boosting your productivity that many people don’t even think of.

And they’re all capable thanks to, you guessed it, smart lighting.

Harness the energy of Blue Light

When it comes down to deciding on how to light your workspace to bring out your most productive side, the answer is clear: use cool, blue light. No matter if you’ve read up on the stimulating effects of this particular hue from previous posts, have heard about the numerous studies out there backing up its energizing properties (better than a cup of coffee according to some), or have just felt the effects for yourself, there’s no question that blue lighting may have a hand in helping you reach your full productive potential.

The secret lies in the fact that blue light is the type of lighting that most closely resembles natural daylight. Since a range of our bodies’ natural processes (like the production of the sleep chemical “melatonin”) are tied directly to our exposure to natural light, basking in a cool blue glow while working will stop your body from going into sleep mode. That’ll give you the energy you need to get even more work done.

And since most smart lighting gives you the ability to choose from over 16 million different colors on a whim, you’ll have direct access to this productivity hack whenever you want!

But don’t over-blue it!

Although, just because you can bio-hack your body into thinking it’s daytime well past sunset doesn’t mean you should. As a multitude of recent studies have shown, exposure to blue light in particular is more disruptive to your body’s sleep patterns than any other color (which is why it’s so helpful in keeping you productive!).

That’s why many offices around the world are investing in transitional color lights. They start off by producing cool, energizing blue light in the morning and gradually change to a warmer yellow light as it gets closer to quitting time. Such a transition will not only help workers get a better night sleep, it’ll also help ease them out of the working mindset, letting them better enjoy their time at home.

If you own high-quality smart bulbs, you can reap these same benefits by setting an 8-hour transition from cool colored light to warmer tones. And all it takes a new light bulb!

True brightness control

So, now that you’ve found out how to optimally control your lighting color to create a truly productive home workspace, there’s only one factor left: brightness. While it may be natural to assume that a brighter light means higher productivity, the truth is we may already be getting too much light in the workplace as it is.

In addition to the fact that lighting which is too bright can cause fluctuations in your mood, resulting in irritability and discomfort, there are some unwanted physical effects as well such as headaches and eye fatigue. If the lighting is too dim though, you may be lured into taking a midday nap. Never a good idea with a long to-do list!

The trick is getting your lighting just right. That could mean picking out a bulb that has the perfect brightness output but then again, not every activity has the same lighting requirements. For instance, reading physical documents or writing a letter will require a certain level of brightness in your home office while creating a table in Excel or doing research on the internet means you won’t need near as much light.

The solution? Lighting that allows you to change the brightness levels to cater to your activities. And smart lighting is just the ticket. In fact, many smart bulbs give you the option of saving lighting settings, letting you quickly pick out the atmosphere that’ll fit the task at hand. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that!

Let us know what you think!

How else do you use smart lighting to help you cross things off your to-do list? Do you have any other tips for boosting productivity at home using smart bulbs? Let us know in the comment section below and get productive with the Flux Smart product line!

The Power Of Light: An Illuminating Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment February 8, 2017 00:00

Now that the holidays are winding down and the winter weather is fully upon us, a significant portion of the population may feel their moods start to take a turn.

And though it may be tempting to put off addressing these feelings, the truth is if you are one of these individuals, you may be one of the 16 million US citizens experiencing seasonal affective disorder.

But don’t worry! Treatment has become easier than ever. And what’s more, all it takes is a little bit of light.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, is a type of depression that usually occurs each year around the gloomy winter months.  While some may attribute the winter blues simply to a dissatisfaction with the change of weather, SAD is accepted as a very real medical disorder in the medical community that affects nearly 5% of the population every single year.

The term was first coined by Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., and his associates in the early 1980s when Rosenthal noticed his own depression during the dark winter months in the northern United States. Although Rosenthal’s research on the subject was first met with intense skepticism, SAD is now widely recognized and treated by many medical professionals.  

What causes SAD?

Since seasonal affective disorder is still being studied in the scientific community, its exact causes aren’t yet fully known. However, there are several factors which experts believe may contribute to the development of this disorder:

• Melatonin Production – Melatonin is a chemical produced by the body that helps regulate sleep patterns as well as your mood. The more melatonin you have, the sleepier you become. In fact, melatonin is even sold in many stores as a natural alternative to sedatives like Ambien and Lunesta.

• Serotonin Production – Serotonin is another powerful chemical your body produces. It plays a major role in mood and its production can be stunted by the onset of winter.

• Circadian Rhythm – Also known as your internal clock, the circadian rhythm can also be thrown off during the darker months which, in turn, can lead to depression.

Though there are undoubtedly other factors at play, the alteration of these three bodily processes are considered to be directly linked with SAD.

So, what is it about winter that changes them? Is it the cold? The precipitation? Something in the air?

Nope, nope, and, well, maybe a little. It’s the light.

As you may have read before, the natural processes of our bodies are highly dependent on how much light we are exposed to. Various levels of lighting can leave us feeling anywhere from energized and poised to take on the day to sleepy and ready to turn in for the night. Part of this is due to the fact that light directly affects the above listed factors.

When some individuals are regularly exposed to less light throughout the day, such as in the winter months, a combination of altered melatonin and serotonin production as well as a confused circadian rhythm can lead to the development of SAD.

What treatment options are there?

One of the best ways to treat a condition brought on by a lack of sunlight is by, you guessed it, being exposed to more sunlight! Now, the problem is that finding actual sunlight during this gloomy time of the year can be problematic. Plus you have to find the time to do it; no easy feat for some

That’s where light boxes come in. Light boxes are lighting elements designed specifically for treating sufferers of seasonal affective disorder. They provide an alternative source of high-powered lighting for individuals who may not have the flexibility to spend more time outdoors or who are on a side of the earth that the sun simply refuses to visit (we’re looking at you Seattle).

And in addition to being incredibly convenient, they’re remarkably effective too, providing depression relief on the same level as antidepressants in some cases.

What’s involved in Light Therapy?

Though specific treatment guidelines vary from case to case and should always be determined with the help of a qualified doctor, many sufferers of SAD find their symptoms are dramatically reduced by using a light box with an output of at least 10,000 lux for 30 minutes a day. And since treatment consists of simply exposing your eyes to the light, many patients are able to watch TV, read, or work during sessions.

While you may be tempted to simply turn up your own home lighting to combat seasonal affective disorder, achieving the required light output can be quite difficult without specialized lighting.

In addition to the brightness requirements, many people at one time believed the lighting had to contain the full spectrum of colors just like natural sunlight. Recent research has shown, though, that SAD sufferers can actually experience the same benefits from a particular band of blue light alone.

The result of this finding, along with dropping manufacturing costs, has led to a surge in LED light box production since LEDs are able to produce a very precise type of light as opposed to full spectrum light. And not only that, LEDs are far more efficient in terms of energy usage as well, meaning cheaper costs as well as lower electricity bills.

Because of the variety and efficacy of treatment options out there, sufferers of seasonal affective disorder have more hope than ever to get over those winter blues.

So there you have it. Just another way LEDs are revolutionizing the lighting industry and helping to brighten up your world!

Let us know what you think!

Do you have any tips for sufferers of seasonal affective disorder? How has using light therapy changed the way you go through the winter months? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to brighten up your day with the Flux Smart product line!

3 Surprising Uses for Smart Lighting in Healthcare February 1, 2017 00:00

Imagine a world where the devastating effects Alzheimer’s disease could be completely reversed simply by daily exposure to a flashing light.

Or where sufferers of depression or PTSD are cured by the deletion, manipulation, or fabrication of entire memories using just the power of light.

Although this world may sound too bizarre to be true, scientists are already closer than you think to making these treatments become a reality. And it’s all thanks to light!

While you may have to wait a decade or two until you see these treatments in hospitals though, here are 3 surprising ways that smart lighting is being used to help treat illnesses today.

Using light to combat neonatal jaundice

You’ve probably already read about how lighting can be used to boost productivity, battle fatigue, and soothe anxiety.

But when it comes to fighting physical disease, nothing is more indicative of the power of light than its use in treating neonatal jaundice.

Occurring in an estimated 50% and 80% of term and preterm infants respectively, neonatal jaundice is incredibly common. During pregnancy, a mother’s body is responsible for removing a substance called bilirubin from her child’s blood through the placenta. After the child is born though, sometimes his or her organs haven’t yet adapted and can’t remove all the bilirubin immediately.

Most cases tend to clear up on their own after a week or so but, in some cases, the bilirubin continues to build up. In the event of this continual buildup, the primary treatment method is phototherapy (this is where the light comes in).

Phototherapy involves exposing the baby’s skin to as much blue light of a specific frequency (460-490nm) as possible. This blue light helps to break down the bilirubin into components that are more easily processed by the liver or removed through bile and urine.

The lighting components of choice were at one time fluorescent or halogen lamps but due to the ease of spectrum designation, cost effectiveness, and superior bulb lifespan, LEDs are becoming more and more the go-to option.

Brightening up geriatric care units

Moving from babies to seniors, the senior assisted living sector is finding ways to benefit from the versatility of smart lighting as well.

In addition to the sunlight emulating spectrum of specially manufactured LEDS (which can have especially beneficial effects on agitation and depression in geriatric centers), many facilities are beginning to invest in 24-hour cycle smart lighting systems.

As you’ve no doubt heard already, lighting has a direct link to your body’s melatonin and cortisol production because of a certain receptor in your eyes called the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (thankfully nicknamed ipRGCs).

When your body is exposed to too much or too little light throughout the day (common in most healthcare facilities), then your internal clock – also known as the circadian rhythm – can get knocked off schedule, resulting in sleep disturbances which can carry a whole host of mood disorders with them.

To combat these detrimental effects, some geriatric care centers are creating a dynamic lighting schedule that not only provides more light to stimulate the ipRGCs of the elderly, but also that change brighten and dim throughout the day to cater to a healthy circadian rhythm. The results are less sleep disturbances and happier patients.

The healing power of light

And last but not least is the utilization of LED light to, believe it or not, actually help heal wounds.

No doubt you’ve seen sci-fi films and shows (we’re looking at you Star Trek) where a ship member has a terrible looking gash that nowadays would take months to heal. But in this world, all it takes is the doctor waving what looks to be a flashlight over the injury and, presto, he’s instantly healed!

While we may not be to that point quite yet, it’s true that many health clinics are beginning to use LED therapy to help stimulate your body’s natural healing process. Researchers believe that both red and blue light therapies can help to speed up energy production as well as releasing nitric oxide, thereby speeding up the healing process.  

Some dermatologists are even using it to treat skin irregularities like acne, wrinkles, and scars!

Let us know what you think!

Have you ever been treated with phototherapy? What other kinds of amazing treatments will we see ten, twenty, and fifty years from now? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to head over to the Flux Smart product line!

Low-Level Light Therapy: The Bright Future of Medical Technology January 25, 2017 00:00

Rewind a few decades to, let’s say, the 1960s. Businessmen in hats, beautiful and sleek cars, black and white TV. A simpler time.

Imagine you if you were to tell someone from that era that fifty years from then, people would be using light to get more work done throughout the day, combat anxiety, and fight off fatigue. What’s more, what if you told them that the power of light is being used to speed up healing, stave off pain, and make humans physically stronger than before?

What do you think they would say? And how long do you think it would take them to call the looney bin?

True, the rapid progression of technology has led to some pretty amazing changes in the last few decades. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, then, that you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would believe you.

But even more surprising than all the amazing things that we’re discovering light can do for us is the fact that many of these effects were already documented in 1967.

What do you think your friend from the 60s would say to that?

Low-Level Light Therapy: a bit of background

When it comes to the future of medical treatments aimed at eliminating certain kinds of pain, hastening recovery from injury, and even pushing the human body to its physical limits, experts in the field are looking to a new type of prescription called low-level light therapy.

Also going by a slew of other names including low-power laser therapy, cold laser therapy, and bio-stimulation laser therapy, low-level light therapy (LLLT for short) is a form of LED light treatment that uses light on the red end of the spectrum to alter your body’s tissue on a cellular level.

The beneficial effects of low powered light on biological tissue were first documented by the pioneer of laser medicine Endre Mester in 1967. Since then, LLLT has wavered in and out of the acceptance of the scientific community. The growing number of cases where LLLT has proven effective, though, are spurring more researchers to pick up the cause of finally pushing this powerful therapy into the mainstream and, as a result, LLLT has recently seen a resurgence in clinical use.

So how does it work?

Part of its tumultuous past with credibility and the main beef that many scientists have with LLLT stem from the fact that the underlying mechanisms of just how this therapy works are still up for examination.

Some studies have speculated that the beneficial effects of LLLT (which range from pain reduction, wound healing, skin rejuvenation, decreasing muscle fatigue) come from a variety of biochemical processes all centered around the mitochondria. This little cellular structure is basically the powerhouse of each of our individual cells. They take a combination of the food molecules we eat and oxygen molecules we breath and use that combination to create energy which powers our bodies.

When the powerhouses are creating energy for your cells, they also give off a compound called nitric oxide or NO. When enough NO bumps into and sticks to the other compounds in the mitochondria, that makes it difficult for it to absorb oxygen, leading to less energy production. What LLLT does, then, is breaks apart NO from these other chemicals and let the mitochondria breath in that oxygen it needs so badly.

With all that extra energy jumping around inside the cell, it’s better able to handle stress, reduce inflammation, and reproduce.

What kinds of applications are there for LLLT?

Though the potential for this interesting and exciting new form of therapy are just in their early stages of implementation, the beneficial effects of LLLT is are being used in all sorts of areas. Here are just a few fields you can expect to see more LLLT usage in:

• Dermatology: One area that this type of therapy is already widely used in is dermatology. Dermatologists must have seen some of the science on how LLLT can effectively combat acne, vitiligo, and the effects of old age.
• Medicine and Surgery: By encouraging cell reproduction and proliferation, LLLT has been shown to have quite powerful healing effects that might make speed up the treatment of wounds and make recovery from surgery even quicker.
• Professional Athletics: Another exciting benefit to LLLT is its ability to ease exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue, thereby increasing muscular endurance!

Let us know what you think!

Human-Centric Lighting: Healthier Living With Smart Lighting January 18, 2017 00:00

Imagine working in an office where your cubicle’s lighting adjusts specifically to suit your individual needs.

Tired in the morning? Your lights will adjust, giving you the bright light you need to stay on task and keep your energy levels up. Getting close to the end of the day? Your lights will gradually change to a softer, warmer hue to better ease your transition into leisure mode, helping you to leave your work at the office where it belongs.

Or imagine you work third shift at a manufacturing factory two nights a week. While the job may pay the bills it unfortunately also wreaks havoc on your sleep schedule throughout the rest of the week. Whereas sleeping and waking when you’re scheduled to work is never a problem, your off days are a constant battle between what time it is and what time your body thinks it is.

Ever since your employers installed a brand-new lighting system, though, you’ve been finding yourself not only waking up and sleeping much easier, you also have more energy at work. Plus, your performance has never been better!

These are just two instances of how human centric lighting are changing businesses across the world. And while the applications of this growing movement are nearly limitless, the future of human centric lighting is only getting brighter.

What is Human Centric Lighting?

Human centric lighting, or HCL, is a term used to describe a shift in focus in the lighting industry.

Up until recently, the primary purpose of a light bulb was purely to provide illumination. We all need light, whether it be to cook a meal, write a paper, or carry out tasks at work. And a light bulb provided that illumination. Simple.

But, as experts are finding, light has much more of an effect on our bodies than we initially thought.

For example, we’ve all heard about rods and cones in our eyes. These are the cells that help us distinguish colors, shapes, and light in general. We wouldn’t be able to see without them!

In 2002, though, a third type of cell in our eyes was identified which apparantly plays a major role in synchronizing our internal clocks (or circadian rhythm). These cells are called the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, more mercifully known as ipRGCs. The ipRGCs are specialized to become excited by light and, in turn, signal to your body whether to stay in daytime mode or prepare for sleep.

Human centric lighting, then, is a shift towards learning how to harness this knowledge to create an advanced lighting system. These systems not only take advantage of the energizing effects of certain types of light and brightness levels, but also help to create a healthy sleep cycle as well.

The benefits of Human Centric Lighting

In a report released by the consulting firm ATKearney, HCL can increase employee productivity by 4.5% compared to regular LED lighting. And not only that, there is also a statistically significant drop in both errors, accidents, sick days, and employee turnover that come with HCL systems.

Most of these quantifiable benefits occur due to an increase in the difficult to quantify benefits. The report outlines that in addition to employees experiencing enhanced mood, energy levels, and relaxation, the subjects of the study also scored better in terms of cognitive performance and had a more stable sleep-wake cycle.

Although these non-visual benefits are hard to quantify, now that there is growing science on the topic, businesses are more seriously considering taking HCL guidelines into account.

These benefits aren’t going unnoticed either. According to the director of Smart & Health Lighting Research Center, Prof. Tongsheng Mou, in an interview with ISOfocus, the “global HCL market is expected to grow from USD 34 million in 2015 to USD 805 million in 2020”.

It might be hard to imagine today but just think: twenty years from now we might have lighting that not only adjusts to provide us with the perfect amount of light for whatever task is at hand, but also changes colors and brightness to help us feel energized and healthy throughout the day.

And while many of us already have access to these capabilities through the use of smart bulbs that feature automatic color and brightness changing, the idea that these types of lights will someday be anywhere you go (malls, gas stations, offices, etc.) is something to look forward to!

Let us know what you think!

What do you think about the health-focused lighting revolution? Have you already started creating your own human centric lighting system by adjusting your smart bulbs? Let us know in the comment section below and start your HCL journey with the Flux Smart product line!

How To Battle Fatigue With A Little-Known Lighting Hack January 12, 2017 00:00

You’ve tried it all: energy drinks, power naps, cup after cup of coffee, even a quick jog around the house. But no matter what you do, you still can’t break away from feeling drained throughout the day.

You’re not sick, you keep your meals reasonably healthy, and you’re no stranger to exercise. So what’s the problem?

Believe it or not, it could be the lights that are draining your energy.

Shining some light on Fatigue

While true, this idea may sound a bit conspiracy theory-ish (“it’s in the light bulbs I tell you!”), the effects of lighting on your body aren’t an issue to be taken, pardon the pun, lightly.

Consider the recent news about the importance of limiting “screen time” before bed. That’s not just about tearing yourself away from that last round of Candy Crush; it concerns the actual physical alteration of your body’s sleep mechanisms.

It isn’t just your sleeping state that’s affected by your computer before bed either. Besides the obvious fatigue throughout the day following a bad night’s sleep, some of your body’s natural processes might be a bit off as well.

You see, specific functions are regulated by your internal clock or “circadian rhythm”. And when that circadian rhythm is knocked off track (by the overuse of blue light emitting devices right before you turn in for the night perhaps) then everything else tied to it can be thrown off schedule too.

But enough lecturing. We’ve all heard this before, right? A better night’s sleep is an obvious way to feel more energized tomorrow. What else can you do to help fight off fatigue?

The solution might be simpler than you think. And all it takes is having the right light bulb.

Turn down the brightness!

That’s right. You might be tempted to brighten the lights to put a little more pep in your step but you may want to rethink it. There is such a thing as “over-illumination”. Just ask anyone who has ever worked in an office.

Despite the functionality that comes with a bright workspace, too much light can cause a wide range of side effects including headaches, migraines, nausea, and fatigue.

So, turn down the lights a bit!

Turn up the brightness!

Mixed signals, we know. But as with most things, there has to be a happy medium between extremes. That leads us to the fatiguing nature of low lighting.

As you may have read, your body produces a compound called “melatonin” to prepare you for sleep. In addition to being signaled by a cooling body temperature, the production of this chemical is also directly connected to how much light is entering your eyes at the time. The darker it is, the closer your body thinks it is to bedtime and, thus, the sleepier you get!

And while you definitely don’t want to go too bright as we’ve pointed out, keeping the lights low might be making you more tired than you should be.

Switch your lighting from direct to indirect

This one might be a little less obvious. There are two types of lighting out there: direct lighting and indirect lighting.

Direct lighting can come in the form of a lot of residential lighting like floodlights and recessed lighting. These types of lights illuminate by shining directly on you.

Indirect lighting, as you may have guessed, brightens up your world by shining away from you. Imagine overhead lights that shine upwards rather than downwards or fixtures that hide the light source completely.

There has been a wealth of research outlining the improved health benefits of indirect lighting over direct. One study, for instance, found that participants felt happier, calmer, and less anxious under indirect light compared to direct light.  And when your body isn’t slowed down by anxiety and annoyance you may find that your fatigue just slips away.

What’s more, participants of another study found that they experienced less eye fatigue under indirect light as well. Happy news to anyone staring at a computer screen all day!

Use blue light responsibly

While we admittedly started this whole journey discussing how detrimental blue light can be to your health, it wouldn’t be fair to that most favorite of colors if we didn’t also point out that blue light can, in fact, give you more energy than any other color.

As we mentioned earlier, blue light helps your body to stave off melatonin production, a characteristic that can be particularly beneficial when you’ve reached that midday slump. In fact, one study has shown that blue light can be just as (if not more!) effective at perking you up than a cup of coffee. Fascinating!

Let us know what you think!

How has adopting the techniques outlined above helped you feel less fatigued throughout the day? Do you have any other ways to use smart lighting to put more pep in your step? Let us know in the comment section below and fight fatigue with the Flux Smart product line!

Quick And Easy Lighting Hacks To Feel More Energized Throughout Your Day January 5, 2017 00:00

You’re sailing through yet another productive day: meeting deadlines, scheduling appointments, getting all sorts of chores done. Well done.

Though, no matter how productive you are, when that clock hits 2 p.m. you can barely lift a finger. There’s nothing like the mid-afternoon crash to ruin the day’s momentum.

Luckily, there are a few quick and effective ways put a little more spring in your step, letting you cross more off of your to-do list and still have energy to spare!

Sleep: There’s more to it than you think

The first step in getting more out of your day is starting it off right! While many of us might believe that all it takes to feel better throughout the day is getting a hefty amount of sleep, the truth is there’s more to it than that.

For example, one recent study showed that when research subjects believed they had a good night’s sleep (even though they really didn’t) they felt much more alert and even performed better on testing!

What does this study show us? That feeling energized isn’t all about how many ZZZ's you caught the night before.

So, what else goes into it? Well, one important factor in boosting your energy levels throughout the day is changing how you wake up. While most of us willingly subject ourselves to the harsh, grating scream of the alarm clock in the wee hours of the morning, that sudden jolt of consciousness might not be the best way to bring in the day.

Part of the problem with this method is the persistence of a phenomena called “sleep inertia”. You see, waking up is actually a gradual process. While your eyes might open at 6:30 a.m. every day, it’s unlikely that you’re really all there until a bit later. This period of transferring all of your faculties to conscious mode is called sleep inertia. And the more abruptly you wake up, the longer that period of time lasts.

If waking up to a loud alarm makes you more tired throughout the day, what other options do you have?

Greet the day with a smile, gradually!

That’s right. Instead of being harshly yanked from your dream world, you can instead choose to gradually regain consciousness with a dawn simulator. These nifty devices start by shining just a little bit of light into your bedroom and then, over time, increase in brightness. The growing light helps ease your transition into the waking state, letting you start your day more refreshed and energized than if you’d awakened to the loud buzzing of a traditional alarm.

By mimicking the growing brightness of the rising sun, dawn simulators tune into the natural wiring of our bodies. You see, our body’s sleep patterns are regulated by a chemical called “melatonin” which is produced based on how much light we are exposed to. The darker it is, the more melatonin we produce and the more tired we get. More light? More energy.

Waking up to gradual light like that produced by dawn simulators has been shown to help regulate your body’s melatonin levels throughout the day, reducing the inconvenience of the midday slump and giving you the energy you need to get more out of your day.

Luckily for high-quality smart lighting owners, you already have access to this capability as it’s likely built right into your bulbs! Even better, try adjusting the color to a brighter blue for even more energy!

Get to sleep!

Another way to help you avoid feeling sluggish throughout the day is by ensuring you are getting good, quality sleep every night. For most of us, this can be an especially troublesome task, particularly because of all the smart devices most modern households are filled with.

If you’ve paid attention to the media recently, you’ve probably heard that late night exposure to blue light, such as that emitted by phones, tablets, and computers, has been shown to be exceptionally damaging to our sleep cycle.

But setting aside those smart devices isn’t the only thing you can do to get a healthier night’s sleep. Using the same principle of melatonin production discussed earlier, gradually lowering your home’s lighting brightness throughout the night will help facilitate sleep in that it’ll increase your body’s melatonin production. The readier you are for bed when you lay down, the quicker you will fall asleep and the more refreshed you’ll wake up tomorrow!

And, once again, smart lighting owners out there can already take advantage of this by setting their bulbs to gradually dim at a certain time every night. So go ahead, get some sleep!

Let us know what you think!

How has smart lighting helped you feel more energized throughout the day? Have you directly experienced boosted energy from any of these tips? Let us know in the comment section below and energize yourself with the Flux Smart product line!

The Simple Way To Reduce Your Anxiety With The Help Of Smart Lighting January 2, 2017 00:00

With 24-hour world news channels, an overwhelming amount of knowledge on basically any topic we choose thanks to the internet, and a near-constant barrage of notifications lighting up our smart devices like a pinball machine, it’s no wonder so many people have high levels of anxiety these days.

But despite all the anxiety that modern devices can bring to your everyday life, there’s one surprising source of reassuring calmness: smart lighting!

Bio-hack your way to relaxation

Have you ever wanted to have direct control over your mood throughout the day, giving you the power to switch from highly energized and productive to cool, calm, and collected with the simple flick of a switch? Well, sadly, we aren’t quite there yet. But we’re getting closer, and smart lighting just might be a step in the right direction!

Smart lighting offers an enormous variety of lighting options to fit almost any situation. With 16 million colors to choose from and full brightness/dimming capabilities, the number of ways you can light your home are virtually infinite! But these features may also be used to tune into your body’s natural processes to help you feel more in control throughout the day.

You may have heard that blue light (like that produced by our phones, tablets, and computers) has a hand in how well we’re able to sleep depending on how much of that light we’re exposed to before bed. Well, just as blue light has an energizing effect on us, there seems to be a color that helps induce feelings of relaxation as well. And believe it or not that color is red!

So, if you’ve had a hard day at work and just want to come home and veg out, do it in some red light and you just may feel more relaxed than ever!

But that’s not all lighting can do to calm you down. A recent study from Denmark revealed that being exposed to bright light of a certain spectrum in the morning for 30 minutes a day has resulted in anxiety reduction in 30 healthy participants. Just by light!

More proof that John Denver was right: sunshine on your shoulder really does make you happy!

Safeguard your home with smart lighting

If you’ve ever spent loads of time and money planning a vacation, you know all the work involved in getting every detail just right. There’s finding a reasonably priced airline ticket (good luck!), picking out that perfect hotel, and coordinating all the travel plans, activities, and schedules. That’s a lot of stuff to remember!

And more often than not, the combination of these seemingly unending details and the excitement of finally arriving at your dream destination will leave you forgetting a few vacation basics like, say, keeping your lights on!

It’s a common tactic of vacationers and extended trippers everywhere to leave their lights on when they won’t be home for at least a few days. This creates the illusion of occupancy that just might be the ticket in warding off any would-be burglars (there’s nothing like being the darkest house on the street to scream “we aren’t home!”). But with all the hustle and bustle of running out the door you forgot to flip the switch on your way out. Solution? Smart lighting!

With smart bulbs, you can access your home’s lighting from anywhere in the world! All it takes is opening your smart lighting app and selecting which bulbs you want turned on and your home won’t be such an easy mark. No need to worry all week long! We’ve got you covered.

And what’s more, you can add lighting schedules and integrate with other devices to make it seem even more likely you’re home. Pretty cool huh?

Did I leave the lights on?

“Running late again. Got to get out the door. Planner? Check. Work clothes? Check. Keys? Where are the keys? That’s right, pocket. Good. Alright, gotta go, gotta go! Phew, made it. Ah! Lights!”

Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. The morning rush can leave us all a little absent minded, especially when we’re a running behind. And as we all know, leaving the lights on only happens when it’s the least convenient situation possible.

Or maybe you aren’t the last one out the door in the morning and though you love your children like nothing else on this world, they seem to think they own stock in the power company! Why else would they leave the lights on so often?

Well, thankfully there is an alternative to keeping your bulbs lit all day long and wasting precious (and expensive!) energy: smart lighting again! Smart bulbs let you see if your lights are on no matter where on the planet you may be. So, all it takes is checking your handy app when you get to work or, better yet, setting each bulb to automatically shut off at the same time every day. No more energy drain, no more hassle of having to worry about it all day long, and no more silly problem!

Let us know what you think!

Do you have any smart lighting tricks that help bring down your anxiety? How has using the methods above simplified your life at all? Let us know in the comment section below and take a load off with the Flux Smart product line!