There’s a corny old British patriotic song with the words, “Red, white and blue, what does it mean to you?… (Union Jack colors)
If you are like me, you grew up with the “everybody knows” information that red light is challenging, keeps you energized and makes people aggressive; whereas green light is soothing and calming. Remember?
But it’s not true.
It’s like the flat Earth or the belief that heavier-than-air machines could not possibly fly. Wrong!
Recent scientific study has shown that red light is essential for healthy circadian rhythms. Blue light is the problem.
Here’s what Nature does:
- In the mornings, we awake to yellow light (that delicious golden glow of sunrise!)
- At mid-day, when we are at our most active, blue light is dominant.
- In the evening, mellowed reddish colors calm and prepare us for sleep.
Red light encourages the release of melatonin, our “sleep hormone”. Blue light suppresses this vital, healthy rest hormone.
Artificial Light
The trouble is, in our modern world, we are drenched in blue light, 24/7. Fluorescent “white” light is predominantly blue-green. The newer LEDs emit “white” light that is predominantly blue.
All this has a bad effect on our sleep cycles. It’s dangerous. Continue reading