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Introducing Summa Systems, who recently joined as participant, is all about the future of lighting. In this video, you can join Gé Hulsmans, 'Director of Specifier Services at Summa Systems,' as he guides you through the evolution of lighting, spanning from energy efficiency to well-being, and tells you all about Summa. Summa Systems, based in The Netherlands, is a wireless lighting controls company. They deliver technology for the lighting industry. The focus is on the delivery of good and healthy light with the right intensity and the right spectral content. One of their key technologies is Triple White Colour Mixing Technology, which enables the choice of any white colour point – exactly on, above or below the Planckian Locus. Even after the fixture has been installed. Furthermore, their lighting controls platform enables easy and troublefree implementation of circadian lighting cycles, for example of those from Kumux. More about Summa systems

An article by Jan Denneman for [inst]ALLICHT In the article by Jan Denneman, the significance of good lighting indoors is stressed. He explains that our bodies need natural daylight to stay energetic, comfortable, and to sleep well. However, we spend most of our time indoors, exposed to inadequate artificial lighting. Photos by Alex Kotliarskyi and Copernico P on Unsplash Indoor lighting is much weaker than natural daylight, confusing our biological clocks. This can lead to daytime sleepiness and poor sleep quality at night. The solution includes spending time outdoors in the morning, staying close to windows indoors, and using proper desk lighting. In the article Jan explains the “3-30-300 rule”, emphasizing that the largest building cost lies in the people using it (€300), much larger than the investment costs ((€30) or energy costs (€3). By improving lighting to enhance well-being and productivity, significant savings can be achieved compared to the relatively small savings from energy costs. In summary, the article underscores the importance of good lighting in buildings for human health, productivity, and financial benefits. Prioritizing proper lighting can lead to better sleep, increased energy, and substantial savings, countering the negative effects of indoor living. Read the article here (in Dutch) page 16

A book written by Anneloes Opperhuizen and Marijke Gordijn. Our Board member, Marijke Gordijn, and science advisor, Anneloes Opperhuizen, recently published a book that explains the biological clock and its effects on our sleep and well-being in an easily understandable way. The book also includes background information and handy tips. In the book ‘The clock with thousand hands’, you discover the profound impact of your biological clock on overall well-being and performance. This internal clock dictates whether you are a morning or evening person, influencing the natural rhythms of sleep and peak productivity. The book also highlights that your biological clock knows best when you should have your meal and when the body is optimally prepared for digestion. Readers gain insight into the origins of the "basic clock" and how to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. The last chapter of the book is dedicated to the topic of the circadian syndrome, showing what happens when it goes wrong, e.g. if you are a night worker, an extreme morning or evening person, when you travel over time zones, or after the annual daylight saving time shift. Also here, tips and tricks with of course a focus on ‘good light’ to prevent or cure misalignment. Through clear explanations and practical tips, the book demonstrates how your biological clock affects sleep, productivity, well-being and health. It equips you with the knowledge needed to lead healthier lives by aligning daily routines with your internal clock. The book is currently published in Dutch.

The Good Light Group, together with the Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms (SLTBR), the Daylight Academy (DLA), and Luger Research (LR), are organizing and presenting the “deLIGHTed Talks” lectures. ​The lectures are free to join. This webinar will take place as part of the Daylight Awareness Week 2023 of the Daylight Academy. Programme 15.00 Introduction Welcome, Introduction by Priji Balakrishnan, TU Berlin ​ 15.10 Full daylight spectrum from a historical perspective by Timo Partonen, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare 15:30 Beyond the visible: the proven effects of near-infrared light on health and well-being by Dr. Anne Berends, Seaborough ​15:50 Panel discussion Including Q&A with the Audience Panelists: Anne Berends & Timo Partonen Moderation: Priji Balakrishnan

Do you know the new Netflix series ‘Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones’? These zones are renowned for the longevity and exceptional health of their inhabitants, illuminating the appeal of a life well-lived, free from ailments like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or obesity. Photo by Lisa van Vliet on Unsplash The five blue zones are Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, the Ogliastra region in Sardinia, Loma Linda in California, and Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. In each zone, individuals embrace a life intertwined with nature, where waking and resting synchronize with the sun’s rise and set. The daily rhythm in these zones integrates work, play, and nourishment, highlighting the importance of outdoor living. This outdoor-centric lifestyle, with exposure to beneficial light, aids in synchronizing the biological clock, which in turn improves sleep, fitness, and mood. However, the lifestyle of blue zone inhabitants isn’t solely about environmental interaction; it also involves a wholesome local diet, profound social networks, and potentially genetics. Since the majority of our readers live outside these blue zones, the one thing that you could improve would be adding much more outdoor activities into your daily routine and compensate the lack of light indoors with good electric light!

Did you know with the latest update, watchOS 10, your Apple Watch is now equipped with a light sensor to measure the time you spend in sunlight? Apple emphasizes the significance of natural light, stating it’s crucial for the proper development of children's eyes and beneficial in enhancing mood, sleep, and reducing stress levels for everyone. Image of the Apple website The health application elaborates: “Time in daylight is an estimate of the amount of time spent in sunlight... Spending 80-120 minutes outside each day can help lower the risk of myopia or near-sightedness in children. For adults, around 20-30 minutes outdoors every day has numerous physical and mental health benefits.” However, the time Apple suggests isn’t quite enough. Our team of science advisors recommends spending at least half an hour outdoors in the morning and a total of two hours each day! Nevertheless, introducing such a feature is a huge step forward. It’s great to see a company as influential as Apple acknowledging our needs to live healthier and happier lives, focusing not only on exercise and nutrition but also on the benefits of natural light. The whole update list

Twilight indoors causes sleep and mood problems. If you spend most of your time indoors, it’s as if you live in endless twilight, and it can really mess with your sleep and mood. If you’re aiming for a healthier and happier life, think about how you’re interacting with natural light every day. Being indoors a lot can disrupt your biological clock, causing it to lag behind actual time. As a result, when we need energy we lack it… and when we want to sleep, sleep won’t come or is not deep enough. Not getting enough daylight during the day can even contribute to insomnia and depression. To counter this, get a routine into your life where you intentionally step outside, allowing your body to synchronize with the natural flow of time and light. Whether it’s a walk in the morning—for ideally more than thirty minutes—or dedicating other moments to be outdoors, this can help realign your internal clock, improve your sleep, and elevate your mood. If you want to bring good light in your life, watch the other animations to a healthier and happier life here: Try | Home | Good Light Group | Foundation Light supports us in everything we do. Good light has a great positive impact on our experience of energy, sleep, happiness and health.

In this meeting of the Good Light Group - our 16th already - we provide a brief update on the progress of the Good Light Group in the following areas: New participants. Our new Good Light Guide for general public Getting mandatory requirements for good light in rules and regulations. Watch the update Furthermore, if you missed the interesting presentations by Oliver Stefani and Adrià Huguet-Ferran, they are now available for viewing! Oliver Stefani - The luminous landscape of light loggers. Oliver discusses the significance of natural light to humans, delving into studies concerning dose-response relationships for mEDI and melatonin, sleep, pupil responses, and sleepiness. He covers the reports of light loggers—individuals who record, through handheld or wearable devices, the amount of light they receive during a normal day. The results of these measurements identify necessary improvements need to be made to get more natural light. Oliver also emphasizes the importance of reporting the season in which data is collected for human sleep and circadian studies. Watch the presentation here Adrià Huguet-Ferran - Kumux A brief overview of the work of Kumux: they transmit data to lighting control companies to transform static lighting systems into autonomous dynamic systems, requiring no user intervention. Adrià explained aspects of the system functions and the various software data available. The lighting systems are designed to mimic natural light and adhere to the principles of human-centric lighting, aiming to have a positive impact on people's health. Watch the presentation here

Twilight indoors Feeling a bit drained? This could be because, like many people, you spend the majority of your time indoors, away from natural daylight! We spend more than 90% of our time indoors and shielded from daylight. Indoors the light level is the same as the light outdoors at sunrise or sunset. Light from outside is not able to reach into our buildings. Therefore indoors we live in twilight the whole day. For our daylight detector this twilight during the day is too dark and in the evening too bright. Therefore our biological clock starts running behind the real time. When your biological clock is out of sync with the natural times of the day, it can result to a constant feeling of weariness. Aligning yourself more with natural light and the rhythms of the day can significantly alleviate feelings of constant fatigue. So, embrace the outdoors or expose yourself to good light to feel more in tune and energised. If you want to bring good light in your life, watch the other animations to a healthier and happier life here: Try | Home | Good Light Group | Foundation Light supports us in everything we do. Good light has a great positive impact on our experience of energy, sleep, happiness and health.

A summary of an interview from the NSWO with Marijke Gordijn If you want to enhance your sleep quality, the balance between light and dark plays a pivotal role in achieving this. Immerse yourself in more light during the day and embrace more darkness in the evening. International scientists, advocate for increased light exposure, around five times more than typical indoor levels, during daytime hours. Additionally, exposure to evening light should be reduced, around five times less than current levels. This is essential for optimal sleep and overall well-being. Photo by Gregory Pappas on Unsplash Excessive evening light communicates to your body that it's still daytime, which delays sleep and disrupts your internal clock. This conflict shifts your sleeping patterns, making you a later sleeper the subsequent day. Melatonin, which prepares your body for sleep, is suppressed by abundant evening lights, especially blue light found in many light sources including LED lights. LED bulbs can be dimmed and chosen in warmer tones to reduce their impact on your sleep. Unfortunately, the importance of light is not often realized. More daylight is needed to align your biological clock and to reduce your sensitivity to evening light. We suggest to implement these practical tips in your daily routine: Get Morning Light. If you struggle to fall asleep at your preferred time or wake up on time, aim for at least 30 minutes of morning daylight, preferably outdoors. If outdoors is not an option, sit within one meter of a window. Get Daylight. Seek at least 2 hours of daylight or natural window light during the day. If natural light is scarce, optimize your workspace with quality electric light that mimics daylight. Dim Evening Light. Dim your lights 3 hours before bedtime, maintaining just enough light to read comfortably. Interrupt Screen Time with the 20-20-2 Rule. Every 20 minutes of screen time, pause and look outside a window for 20 seconds, aiming for a total of 2 hours of daylight exposure daily. For those wishing for better sleep and a healthier life, adjusting the amount and type of light you are exposed to is a step forward in improving your well-being and alertness during the day. Read the full interview here (in Dutch)

Do you feel sleepy while sitting at your laptop? The light you surround yourself with can be the key to a healthier and happier life. This is step three to let more good light into your life. Install electric good light that mimics daylight from sunrise to sunset. Importantly when you are indoors during the day you should get about five times more light in your eyes than you are used to now and much less in the evening. If you spend a lot of time indoor, receiving about five times more light during the day can revitalize your mood and energy levels. It’s essential to get more light during the day and considerably less in the evening. This balance not only enhances your mood and productivity but also gets your body’s natural circadian rhythm in sync with the time of day, improving your sleep quality. The right light can be the key to a happier, healthier you, enhancing your overall quality of life. If you want to bring good light in your life, watch 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 has a great positive impact on our experience of energy, sleep, happiness and health.

A summary of the article from LEDs magazine There is consensus among scientific experts on the need to develop lighting fixtures and lamps to support the health of the human circadian rhythm. The Circadian Light Research Centre study involving 248 scientists yielded 24 vital conclusions. They highlighted the importance of circadian lighting, lighting that can be adjusted in intensity and blue tones, which promotes optimal health by maintaining your natural body clock. They particularly emphasised the benefits of bright blue light during the day and the use of warmer tones and no blue light in the evening. Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash Given the unanimous agreement among scientists on the importance of circadian-friendly lighting, this presents the lighting industry with an opportunity to innovate and avoid potential liabilities. The development and adherence to standardised circadian lighting are critical, not only for commercial prospects, but more importantly, for mitigating adverse health effects associated with circadian disruption. This industry insight serves as an important incentive for lighting manufacturers to align their product development strategies with validated scientific standards, allowing them to create lighting solutions that are conducive to human health while seizing new business opportunities. Read the full article here