Both intensity and color temperature of light have an effect on humans. Light dictates our sleep/wake cycles, also known as circadian rhythms. It also affects our productivity and alertness, as well as chemical and hormonal responses in our bodies that are essential to long-term health.

When we wake up with the sunrise, light intensity is lower and color temperatures are warmer. As the sun rises higher in the sky, the intensity increases and the color temperature reaches a cool white, achieving 5000-6000K by the middle of the day. These energizing, cool colors encourage the body's production of serotonin, a natural chemical that's responsible for mood balance. As the day wraps up and the sun lowers, intensities decrease and color temperatures warm, signaling the body to begin winding down.

If we lived outside all of the time, our circadian rhythms would be balanced. But, that's not reality. Fortunately, as lighting technology has evolved, creating healthy indoor lighting environments has become much easier. Many of our manufacturers now offer color tunable lighting, including this month's featured manufacturer, Finelite. Through the use of tunable products like theirs, artificially lit environments can now offer many of the same health benefits as natural light. A video which highlights Finelite's tunable products is showcased in this month's giveaway.

If your home or office isn't equipped with color tunable lights yet, there are some practical things that you can do to help maintain healthy circadian rhythms.

1. Get out in the sunlight for at least 20 minutes per day (particularly in the morning hours). It will help set your body clock.
2. Stop using devices (computers, phones, tablets) at least one hour before bedtime. These devices deliver color temperatures in excess of 6500 which suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that contributes to healthy sleep. (Some devices have system settings to automatically warm up the screen color from sunset to sunrise. If your device offers that feature, you should activate it.)
3. Turn off overhead lights at home and use warmer color temperature lights at night.

• Study on Submarine Workers
• Study on Shift Workers
• General Overview of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
• Natural Daylight's Effect on Sleep
• Melatonin's Cancer Suppressing Qualities