LED Bulbs – your guide to a brighter morning
It’s mid-October approaching 07:00 on a dark and rainy autumnal Thursday morning. My coffee is prepped and ready to go! Media in all its forms has been successfully avoided!
I’ve done everything I can to start my day with a leap instead of a lull. So why do I struggle so much on these dark autumn/winter mornings?
Well, your morning illumination may have something to do with it.
It is estimated that 1 in 20 people live with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in the UK
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD for short, is a mood disorder that fluctuates with the changing of the seasons. Seasonal Affective Disorder often begins in the autumn/winter months, symptoms include: depression, anxiety, fatigue, trouble concentrating on tasks and sleep disturbances.
Symptoms do tend to improve in spring/summer time.
Why Does it Occur?
The research is still ongoing as to the causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). There is however a good amount of research linking daylight exposure and its overall impact on mood.
Sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D, reduced exposure to sunlight especially in the Autumn and Winter can significantly lower vitamin D levels and negatively impact serotonin levels.
Genetics, lifestyle and your geographical location may be why your vitamin D levels are low.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is nuanced and there’s no, one thing that is responsible, nor is there a quick fix that could make everything rosy.
What can be Done?
Quite a bit, actually, so don’t worry, there is hope.
For simplicities sake I’ll be focusing on how a small change in your lighting setup could help improve and maintain your mood during these dark mornings.
Before we get in to the nitty-gritty of lighting options, there are couple of trouble-maker neurotransmitters that need to be brought to account, they are: Serotonin and Melatonin.
What are Serotonin and Melatonin?
Melatonin and serotonin are two neurotransmitters that are crucial for healthy sleep and balanced mood.
Serotonin’s main function is to regulate your mood and sleep, other functions include: digestion, blood-clotting and sexual desire.
The majority of the bodies serotonin production is in your gut with only a small percentage made in the brain.
Melatonin on the other hand helps you sleep, it tells your body when it’s time to go to bed, it’s the reason why you feel sleepy when it gets dark.
The Work Colleagues!
Serotonin helps make melatonin. During the day, your body uses sunlight to make Serotonin, which makes of feel balanced in mood and awake. When it gets dark your body uses a bit of serotonin to create melatonin, which makes you feel sleepy.
Melatonin regulates your sleep, which in turn may affect your mood. If you don’t get enough quality sleep your serotonin levels will get out of balance and make you feel low in mood and stressed.
If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and feel those dark morning blues creeping in, then read on!
*A quick reminder: The following advice should be used as part of a healthy balanced life-style. Please remember, if your mood has been consistently low for two weeks or more, please contact your GP (General Practitioner) for advice.*
LED Bulbs – Saving Money and Saving Mood
LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs are as many of you know a great way of saving money on your energy bills. The average life-span of an LED bulb (dependant on usage) is around 50,000 hours, compared to its incandescent brethren of 1,200 hours.
But how many of you know that LED bulbs could also be used as helpful mood-booster?
Let’s delve into the world of LED lighting!
The run-of-the-mill LED bulb you purchase from your local supermarket for the most part is only good for one thing – lighting the way.
When it comes to LED bulb shopping you need to be aware of the units involved, they are:
- Wattage (W)
- Lumens (lm) Brightness
- Colour Temperature (K)
Brightness is no longer governed by the wattage for an LED bulb. Lumens (lm) will be your new go to!
For comparison, your generic incandescent bulb has wattages ranging from a low light 25watts all the way up to a bright 100watts. The most commonly used incandescent wattage in most UK households today is 60watts.
LED Bulb – Buying Guide
The three units of the LED bulb:
- Lumens (lm)
- Colour Temperature (K)
- Wattage equivalent (W)
Lumens (lm)
This governs the brightness of the bulb. For example a 60 Watt incandescent bulb is equal to a 800 lumens LED bulb.
Wattage (W)
Wattage (W) is not a driving factor when it comes to LED bulb choice. However, if we take the example above, a 60 watt incandescent bulb giving off 800 lumens, is equal to an LED bulb of 8 Watts giving off the same amount of lumens (lm).
Your mood and your bills will thank you in the long-term.
Colour Temperature (K)
Colour temperature (K) is measured in kelvin. The higher the colour temperature the bluer the light will be and the lower the colour temperature the warmer the light is. (See diagram below)
A 2000K led bulb, for example will give off a soothing warm white colour, combine this colour temperature with a lumens of 300 to 500 (5-15watts) and you could feel tired and lethargic.
I do believe that it’s personal preference when deciding which LED bulb is ideal for your needs. For myself I prefer a daylight colour of 6000K to 6500K and a Lumens (lm) of 1500, this helps me feel energised and awake.
Remember, the goal is to hit your sweet spot between Lumens and colour temperature.
- Lumens (lm) – Brightness
- Colour Temperature (K) – Colour
Colour temperature range: Between 5000K to 6500K. These two values are often called ‘cool white’ and ‘daylight’. The latter produces a bright, bluish-white light that simulates daylight, helping to increase alertness, boost mood, and generally enhance your environment.
Lumen level range: 800 to 1600 lumens. This range is great for general room lighting that feels bright and energising. It’s strong enough without being too harsh, but remember, this is all about personal preference.
The two images below show the differences in colour temperatures (K).
Think Before you Buy
There has been some great improvements in regards to stock availability in high street stores. However, many LED stockists still sell bulbs with a low lumens (lm) and colour temperature (Kelvin).
What does this mean?
At a lower colour temperature, for example 2700K will give off a calming, almost sedative-like effect, this, alongside a low lumens of say 400lm and your goal of morning sleepy-time has been reached!
Typically, the lower the colour temperature the warmer the light, and the higher the temperature the more bluish the light will be.
Where to buy?
Amazon has a vast range of LED bulbs on offer, however, they can and do vary in quality. For sheer choice. Amazon does have a tendency to bombard the consumer with lots on information, which can seem overwhelming. Just remember to check the review to star ratio and make sure you’re purchasing from a reputable seller. Amazon’s LED Range
ScrewFix is another great choice! Aimed at the professional and ‘serious’ DIYer, ScrewFix is great for quality, but they can be on the expensive side. ScrewFix’s LED Range
Toolstation is another good option. Similar to ScrewFIx, Toolstation’s products are available to both trade and DIY enthusiasts. Toolstation LED Range
LED Hut is a LED Bulb specialist and one of my regular haunts. LED Hut’s information is well-presented and informative. Again, this website is open to both trade and retail consumer. LED Hut Range
SimplyLED is another well rated LED Bulb stockist to add to your growing list. SimplyLED Range
These are a selection of a few online stores, the only bit of purchasing advice I can give is – do your research!
Diffuser
Additional: It is recommended (but optional) that you purchase a diffuser to help with light distribution.
Diffusers offer the following:
- Reduces Glare
- Evenly Distributes Light
- Enhances Ambiance
Finally. Be Dynamic!
While a simple change of lighting is not going to solve all of life’s problems, what it will do is make your immediate environment a little more bearable.
Having different bulbs for different occasions is good idea. If you’re looking to have an early night, there’s no sense in using a bulb that has a high lumens (brightness) and colour temperature (6500K), your goal is to wind down.
You could always have a table lamp with a lower value (lm-K) bulb for the evening and a higher value bulb for the mornings.
If your budget allows, you could go down the more specialised route and purchase a SAD lamp, just remember to keep your receipt!
The golden-rule is: As long as you put in the leg-work and do your research, you’ll be fine, so experiment and see what works best for you.
Happy mornings!