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The right lighting can make a world of difference in your daily life! That’s why we, together with Johan Krijl developed whiteboard animations that highlight the importance of good lighting. Many people spend much of their day in semi-darkness, even with the lights on. This lack of proper lighting can have a significant impact on our biological clock, affecting our sleep, mood, and overall well-being. Indoor lighting provides no more than 150 lux, while outside on a sunny day, the lux level can reach 125,000. Good light in your eyes is crucial to set your biological clock properly, and that's why it's essential to get at least half an hour of sunlight in the morning. If that's not possible, installing electric light that mimics daylight can also help. Working on the animations has opened Krijl's eyes; before this project, he did not know how important good light is. He now has two desk lamps on the sides of his desk. This way, on busy days when he doesn't have time to go outside, he still has enough light. His sleep improved and can concentrate better. Now when he doesn't turn on the light he really misses it, the sunny atmosphere. Not to mention what light does to your mood. There is a reason why people can get dejected in autumn and winter. Taking a walk every day can help. On the one hand through the exercise, but certainly also through the light falling into your eyes. The blog of Johan Krijl

Good light is essential for our health and well-being, and actually to realise . That is why we have launched our 30-day good light challenge. We want to encourage people to take steps to improve their lighting situation and share their experiences. We know that not everyone is ready to commit to these 30 days. But with these three simple steps, you can still enjoy good light by simply making small improvements in your own home or office. That is why we have added a new feature on our website that allows you to upload a photo of your lighting situation so that we can share it on our website and social channels. Whether it's a well-lit workplace with daylight or electric light during the day or a dimly lit living room in the evening. Maybe you will inspire someone else to take the next step towards good light and better health and well-being. Please let us know if you are happy with your indoor light situation and what you would like to improve.

Using Forced Desynchrony designs to investigate the impact of circadian rhythms and homeostatic sleep pressure on human sleep. A blog by Renske Lok Sleep and wake are tightly regulated by an interplay of the circadian system and homeostatic sleep pressure, more info. Many of our bodily processes including alertness, cognitive performance, physical performance, and sleep, are influenced by both systems. To better understand and design targeted interventions, it is crucial to determine the contribution of each of these systems. For example: Suppose sleep was only driven by homeostatic sleep pressure. In that case, one could fall asleep at any time of day as long as one has been awake for long enough. Simultaneously, suppose sleep was only driven by the circadian system. In that case, one could only fall asleep only when the internal clock dictates to do so. We now know that sleep, in fact, is driven by a combination of circadian clock phase and homeostatic sleep pressure; one can only fall asleep when one has been awake for long enough, and their circadian clock tells them to do so. Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash To determine the influence of homeostatic sleep pressure and circadian clock phase, a complicated experimental design is necessary in which one can separate these effects. One of the ways to do so is by conducting a Forced Desynchrony (FD) experiment. FD experiments investigate the impact of the internal clock, or circadian rhythm, and the duration of prior wakefulness, homeostatic sleep pressure on a desired output measure. In an FD experiment, participants are subjected to an artificially imposed sleep-wake cycle that is longer or shorter than 24 hours and, in part, is out of sync with their natural circadian rhythm. For example, in a typical FD experiment, participants might be subjected to a 28-hour day, where they are kept awake for 16 hours, followed by 12 hours of sleep. This means that their sleep and wake times will gradually shift later over time, while the circadian clock free runs, unsynchronized with the 24-hour day. Researchers can use a variety of measures to study the effects of forced desynchrony on the body. For example, they might monitor the participants' sleep, hormone levels, or alertness throughout the experiment. They can then use mathematical calculations to calculate the contribution of the circadian clock and homeostatic sleep pressure, as they know precisely at which circadian clock time a measurement took place, as well as the amount of build-up homeostatic sleep pressure at that time. One of the key findings from forced desynchrony experiments is that the body's natural circadian rhythm is not precisely 24 hours long. In fact, the average length of the circadian rhythm is slightly longer, closer to 24.2 or 24.3 hours. This means that the body needs to constantly adjust to the timing of external cues in order to stay in sync with the 24-hour day. FD experiments can also shed light on the effects of disrupted sleep-wake patterns on health and well-being. For example, FD experiments have shown that people who work night shifts and thus are awake when the circadian system promotes sleep may be at increased risk of various health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Understanding how the circadian clock and homeostatic sleep pressure contribute to these disruptions can help researchers develop better strategies for mitigating these risks.

Last week our 14th group meeting was held online in which two new board members were introduced and Joachim Stormly Hansen from Ocotune took the stage to present a fascinating presentation about measuring how much light people do actually receive. Joachim Stormly Hansen talked about measuring and logging good light, the minimum recommendations for light we need during daytime, evening and night and a new light sensor they are developing that can measure good light, is small and gives you insight in your light history and amount of good light. He elaborates further on how this sensor measures light. You can watch all three parts of the meeting here: Virginie Gabel Roger Sexton Joachim Stormly Hansen

It is almost daylight saving time, also known as summer time. This weekend in most countries in Europe and next weekend in most countries in America, we have to set our clocks ahead one hour. It was introduced in Europe during World War I and adopted again during World War II to extend the amount of daylight in the evening. But morning light is the most important thing for our health and sleep! Waking up and tuning your biological clock to the time of day is most important. During summer time, we have too little morning light and too much evening light. This disturbs our biological clock and has a negative effect on the quality of our sleep, energy level and alertness during the day and on our mood. It may even lead to health problems. The shift of the clock with one hour in itself also causes problems. 1. We lose one hour of sleep, which is difficult to adjust to for many people. This can lead to daytime fatigue, moodiness and reduced productivity. Especially for children. 2. A disrupted sleep pattern can also lead to more accidents. Especially in the early days after the shift there is an increased risk of accidents because people are more tired and less able to concentrate, leading to errors in judgement and reduced reaction time. While Europe continues to debate the benefits of daylight saving time, Mexico has already abolished it. In April 2021, the Mexican government announced that it would no longer observe daylight saving time, based on health concerns and the disruption of sleep patterns. The decision was welcomed by many Mexicans, who had long complained about the confusion and problems caused by the clock changes twice a year.

I first came across the GLG a couple of years ago when Jan Denneman (Good Light Group board member) gave me a call about it. It’s an area I have been interested in for well over 20 years since I was lucky enough to be involved in a small way with some early research. Through the years I have kept myself up to date as more evidence is consolidated and was particularly excited to read the metanalysis last year from ‘The Manchester Group’ leading to specific lighting design advice, now I gather included in a draft version of ISO 8995. The company I work for, Stoane Lighting, are sponsors of the Good Light Group. They are also active members of the industry associations Lighting Europe and the Lighting Industry Association. They produce dedicated luminaires mostly for the lighting design fraternity. The foundation aim of their manufacturing approach is minimum environmental impact, whether considering the efficiency of the active components involved or the through-life embodied carbon. Experience in all these areas with Stoane gives me I think an interesting bucket of experience to put on the table at meetings within the Good Light Group, and with a feeling of honour I have accepted the invitation to join their Board. What are my feelings about the Good Light Group? Some of their actions are already tackled by the other organisations I have mentioned above. But what I don’t see outside of the Good Light Group is one independent organisation focused entirely on this one topic. Connecting university research; lobbying for legislation; spreading awareness via its own events and SM; championing good lighting practice on its website; producing good light guides aimed at different sectors; supporting initiatives in the care home segment (is there one crying out more strongly for its lighting to be thought through?,)…. I could go on. I always enjoy working with people who believe strongly in a subject and find the energy to do something about it. What will my specific contribution be? I don’t know what will happen further down the road and will put my shoulder to any cause that makes sense to me. But at this juncture I can think of three things: practical, in the market, trials of The Manchester Group’s daytime lighting advice with University College London; an initiation of links between dementia organisations and the Good Light Group and working with the Good Light Group’s Work Group Science to produce lighting design healthy light guidance - here interfacing with the IALD will be essential.

I am a neuroscientist and a chronobiologist and I have studied sleep since 12 years now. At first, my focus was to study the effects of light on human behavior and sleep. After my PhD in Switzerland, I moved to the US for 3 years as a postdoctoral fellow, still studying the effect of light and aging on humans sleep. During that time, I was also coordinator of a science communication association and had the chance to share scientific knowledges with a wide range of people. I realized that they all were interested in learning more about sleep, especially as sleep problems is in constant increased in our society these last decades. Many were talking about taking some medications, instead of changing their sleep habits and I realized that there is a huge gap in this domain and real learning needed to be done. Back in France, I decided to open my own company Clock&me, to share these knowledges about sleep and circadian rhythm. I do consultancy in companies to help employees deal with their sleep problems simply by changing some life habits. And one of the most important of them, is the exposure to natural light. People do not realize how important the light is to start a good day and reinforced your biological rhythm, leading to a better sleep. I can even more rely on that assertion now, as I continue my research at the university of Caen , studing sleep in extreme condition and people who have lived in a cave, out of any natural light exposure.... When I first heard about the Good Light Group, I found this initiative so thoughtful, and it was obvious for me to join them as a Science advisors. It has been now more than a year that I participate in the group meetings and activities and help spread the word about good light recommendation. I am now very proud of becoming a board member and continue working on good light guide both for general public and specialists. It is very important for me to let people know that with simple changes in their life, especially their exposure to light, they can truly improve their sleep and thereof their quality of life.

Good sleep When our biological clock is properly aligned with time we are fit during the day, our mood is upbeat and rest well during sleep. The biological clock is a mechanism in our brain that, among other things, regulates our sleep-wake cycle, our most well-known bodily rhythm. It makes us feel tired at the moment we need to sleep and feel rested and energised when we wake up. This clock is synchronised by the patterns of light and darkness that our daylight detector receives. To keep our biological clock in tune with the 24-hour day, we need daylight or electric light that mimics daylight. Bright light during the day and dim light in the evening and night. If you want to bring good light in your life, watch also the other steps to a healthier and happier life here: Try | Home | Good Light Group | Foundation Light supports us in everything we do. Good light means the right light at the right time. It has a great positive impact on our experience of energy, sleep, happiness and health.

An update to our infographic has been released with the three steps to good light for a healthier and happier life. It also explains the steps for a healthy lifestyle, with the important 20-20-2 rule. The infographic also shows how exposure to natural light or light that mimics natural light can improve our mood, sleep and energy. Download the infographic here. If you want to TRY good light, look at the suggestions on our website here.

We have summarized our accomplishments in 2022 and outlined our plans for 2023 and beyond. We still want to grow a lot especially in the marketing/communications area. With many projects realised we still see many opportunities to inform more people about the benefits of good light and how they can live healthier and happier. Please contact us if you have suggestions or want to cooperate. Read more about our review of 2022 or our operational plan for 2023.

Adjusting the biological clock The daylight detector uses light to adjust our biological clock with the time of day. In the morning the intense daylight activates us. In the evening, when the sun goes down it prepares our body for a good night’s sleep. The daylight detector are cells in the retina of our eyes. These cells detect the intensity, colour and duration of light and send signals to our brain that adjust our biological clock according to the time of day. The clock adjusts our body rhythms, including metabolism, energy, sleep and mood. So if you cannot sleep, it could be due to a disrupted biological clock. If you want to bring good light in your life, watch also the other steps to a healthier and happier life here: Try | Home | Good Light Group | Foundation Light supports us in everything we do. Good light means the right light at the right time. It has a great positive impact on our experience of energy, sleep, happiness and health.

Brighten your day and download our new flyer. Discover the three steps to good light. Increase your exposure to daylight and make sure that you are in good light indoors throughout the day. This will improve your overall health and well-being. If you know Good Light Group, you know that we are passionate about helping and informing people to live more in light that helps synchronizing our biological clock. That is why we’ve put together this easy-to-use flyer to help you live in good light, even when you’re indoors. The flyer contains some practical information about the Good Light Group and, if you want to improve your mood, sleep, health and energy levels, three easy to follow steps to good light. Download the flyer here and enjoy the many benefits of good light.