Home Automation for the Health of It

Did you know automated lighting can have a huge impact on your health?

More and more people are trying to be proactive about their health and take steps to ensure their wellbeing by doing things like joining a fitness club, buying fresh produce, or enjoying outdoor activities. And, as much as the media focuses on technology promoting a sedentary lifestyle, home automation is proving that it can also foster better health. Smart LED lighting, in particular, can have a huge influence on your wellbeing. Here’s how:

We all have an internal clock that our body uses to regulate itself. This process of adjusting to the time of day is called your circadian rhythm, and it involves a whole lot more than simply remembering to go to sleep every night. The circadian rhythm is a biological process that instructs our bodies to naturally adapt to a 24-hour-day cycle. When our timeclock is disrupted, our health is jeopardized.

A smart lighting system like the one offered with a Control4 comprehensive system can adjust the light fixtures in your home automatically to synch up with your circadian rhythm. For example, the system could gradually dim the lights as the sun sets and your body tells you that it’s time to hit the sack. On the flip side, the lights can gradually brighten in the morning so that you wake up feeling refreshed and well rested.

Studies show that it’s not just the intensity of a home’s artificial lighting that can help maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, but also the color of the light. The objective is to create a bright blue light during the day and dim red light in the evening. Smart, color-changing light bulbs screw into sockets just like regular light bulbs. They can emit a rainbow of different colors, controllable through a smartphone app or through a Control4 home automation system.

In addition to helping you get your rhythm back on track, colored lighting is a verified mood booster. Dim, soft, pale-colored lights can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, while crisp, bright, vibrant colored lighting can improve productivity.

This doesn’t mean that you should use colored lighting throughout your entire home. New “tunable” white LED lights can accomplish the same health benefits. Through an app or home automation system both the color temperature and intensity can be adjusted to resemble outdoor lighting. In the morning, the lights can be tuned to mimic sunrise, shift to a bright sunny afternoon, then adjust at the end of the day to feel as if the sun is setting. It’s like bringing the outdoors inside, producing a light that not only looks better but feels better.

Finally, automated shading, particularly blackout shading, can be one of the greatest biohacks for getting a good night sleep and maintaining you circadian rhythm. Automated shading can follow a schedule to lift and lower at the same time every day. For example, it can help block out the sun so that you go to bed when you should.

When paired together, automated LED lighting and shading can work in concert to create a home environment that’s comfortable, convenient, and good for your health.