Circadian Lighting System Definition

There are three main ways to implement a circadian lighting system.

Circadian lighting system definition.

Circadian lighting can be defined as any lighting strategy or source that is efficient in stimulating the circadian system boyce 2006. This harmony is referred to as entrainment. Circadian rhythms are physical mental and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle. This approach to lighting is a new joint frontier for the lighting and health industries.

What are circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythm the cyclical 24 hour period of human biological activity. When we review the anthropology of luminosity we see that the invention of man made lighting from firelight and candlelight to the more advanced innovations of gaslight and subsequently electric lighting in the 19th century changed all of that. Circadian lighting as a term came to prominence after the discovery of the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell iprgc in 2002 berson et al 2002.

Circadian potency spectrum with extended exposure to polychromatic white led light under workplace conditions the paper defines the circadian sensitivity curve under normal light adapted conditions of people working under normal levels of white light for 12 hours. Scientists have discovered that long term exposure to certain wavelengths of blue light at a specific intensity can have a negative impact on melatonin production. Proper implementation of this new technology can lead to a health and productivity revolution at home and in the workplace. Light is one of the main drivers of the circadian system which starts in the brain and regulates physiological rhythms throughout the body s tissues and organs affecting hormone levels and the sleep wake cycle.

Circadian lighting is the concept that electric light can be used to support human health by minimizing the effect of electric light on the human circadian rhythm. They respond primarily to light and darkness in an organism s environment. The circadian system is best described as your body s master clock which tells you when to wake up and when to go to bed among other things. Sleeping at night and being awake during the day is an example of a light related circadian rhythm.

The cycle is controlled by a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus which is the master center for integrating rhythmic information.