Maike Jeuken,
Dutch freelance journalist. #3
My First Encounter with a Daylight Lamp
Journalist Maike Jeuken struggled with sleep. In her search for better rest, one crucial factor remained overlooked: daylight.
For the Good Light Group, she shares her experience with the Sparckel daylight lamp.
Simply sleeping well – not always that simple
Sleep. Just sleeping well and comfortably. For many people, it’s the most normal thing in the world. Unfortunately, not for me. For years, I found it a tough challenge that I simply couldn’t master. That’s why I regularly took sleeping pills, just like around 750,000 other people in the Netherlands. Nothing to be proud of, but they did guarantee sleep. Conveniently packaged in blister packs.
Of course, it wasn’t a sustainable solution to my sleep problem — I knew that. My GP confirmed it and encouraged me to tackle the issue properly. And so I did. I devoured books, consulted experts, and immersed myself in everything scientists and specialists had to say. My mission was clear: I wanted to learn how to sleep naturally again.
Solving a sleep problem doesn’t happen overnight
I wrote about my search for better sleep in an article for Mezza, the Saturday supplement of the Dutch newspaper AD and its regional editions.
Going to bed with thick socks, earplugs, an eye mask, melatonin tablets, cannabis oil, listening to white noise — I tried it all.
One thing became clear: solving a sleep problem takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. A series of small improvements together make the difference. I learned to wind down calmly in the evenings, introduced a fixed evening routine, reduced drinks and snacks, and sent myself to bed at the same time every night. The bedroom window stayed open, my phone stayed downstairs. It wasn’t easy — but it worked. I sleep well now, and the blister packs are gone.
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“I overlooked something: daylight”
That the topic resonated became clear from the many responses I received. One of them came from Jan Denneman, founder of the Good Light Group. He asked whether I had ever considered the effect of daylight on sleep quality. Umm…
During my research, I had of course read a lot about light — especially about how laptop and phone light disrupts melatonin production. And about how screens don’t help quiet your thoughts. That’s where it ended. But daylight itself? How could I have overlooked that?
A love for light
My curiosity was sparked. In the conversations that followed, Jan explained how daylight works: how it affects health and strongly influences sleep quality, and how too little daylight disrupts our biological clock. While I had always loved light, an entirely new world opened up to me. I feel less comfortable in dark houses, always choose a seat near the window in offices and restaurants, and one day I want a car with a glass roof. Light, light, light — preferably as much daylight as possible. And yet, I had never consciously linked daylight to health, biological rhythm, and mood. You could say — forgive the pun — that I finally saw the light.
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An experiment? Bring it on!
My image of a daylight lamp was something involving elderly people and a strange table lamp. Winter blues, perhaps. But it turns out we actually need a lot of light during the day. According to Jan, good light is just as important as healthy food and clean air. It makes you fitter during the day, improves your mood, and helps you sleep better at night. Voilà — the missing puzzle piece. When he asked if I was up for an experiment, I didn’t hesitate. Absolutely. I wanted to experience for myself what good daylight could do for me.
Meeting a daylight lamp
A large box arrived containing a heavy floor lamp — an office model, which suited me perfectly as a journalist who spends hours typing at a desk. According to the manual, the light needs to reach your eyes for it to have an effect. AOccupational health guidelines prescribe only 500 lux on a desk — far too little to gain health benefits. For that, I learned, you need at least 1,000 lux. As a freelancer, I am my own occupational health service, so I happily placed the lamp next to my PC. Tomorrow, we’ll see.
“As if the sun is rising again”
My home office isn’t dark. The desk is by a window, with more windows to my left. At around 9 a.m., I start working. By turning a ring in the black stand, I switch on the Sparckel lamp. Fresh, white light fills the room. As if the sun gets a second chance and rises again. I quickly get used to the new light source and genuinely enjoy my workspace. It feels as though I immediately have more energy and motivation for the day ahead.
As the day progresses, the light gradually changes, just like outside. Towards evening, the lamp emits a warm, atmospheric glow. Lovely — but that’s my cue to stop. Tomorrow is another day.
“Without the lamp, it feels like a rainy day”
Before long, the lamp and I grow attached. In the morning, during breakfast, I already look forward to the light in my office. Sometimes, just to feel the difference — after all, this is an experiment — I turn the lamp off. It instantly feels unpleasant. Like a gloomy November afternoon. And yet it’s summer: dry, partly cloudy. All other lights in my office are still on. I look around and can hardly believe this used to feel normal. This is the light I worked in for years and always thought was perfectly fine. Now I see — and feel — the difference. Healthy light intensity does me good. The lamp goes straight back on.
A natural mood booster, endlessly available
My nights are good too. Falling asleep is easy, and I don’t wake up during the night. I even seem to sleep more deeply than before. For me, the experiment is a success. More daylight makes me more energetic. I feel alert, fit — and honestly — happier behind my desk. A real discovery. Logical, explainable, and scientifically proven, yet still an eye-opener for me.Daylight: mood-boosting, free, and unlimited. A pretty great combination. That something as simple and natural as daylight can improve your mood — isn’t that wonderful? Spending more time outdoors is my new mantra, especially soaking up that strong morning light. And the daylight lamp? What can I say — it was a surprisingly positive introduction. As far as I’m concerned: it’s staying on.