IEQ Biorhythmic Lighting System
Saturday January 1st, 2011 2011, In the News
Light affects a person’s moods and even health. Our body is regulated by light, by its intensity and the length of the night/day cycle known as the circadian rhythm. All types of light affect our cognitive activity as well as our mood, telling our body when it is day, time to wake up and work and when it is night, time to rest. Each of us has an internal clock which casts different types of shadow and shade in the mind, according to the position of the sun, transforming light stimuli into hormonal messages and in turn into responses.
IEQ Biorhythmic Lighting System is based on this idea. Studies show that light has a psycho-physiological function. Bright light, for example, causes an increase in body temperature and improves cognitive efficiency but also leads to visual strain and physiological damage. Cool light increases certain hormones which are known to control our alertness while warm light is less stimulating but has a positive influence on our mental state.
Parents will find it useful to understand the influence of lighting on children. Natural light has been shown to enhance vitality, boost bone development in children, reduce the risk of rickets, scrofula and anemia. It enhances baby’s skeletal development and preserves blood’s alkalinity. In addition, natural light produces better general health in nursing mothers and reduces pre- and post-natal symptoms like loss of appetite, backaches and tiredness.
An imbalance in the circadian rhythm (internal body clock) may result in light stress — the irregular cycles of rising and falling body temperature and changes in body chemistry. In addition, scientific studies reveal that when girls reach sexual maturity, being exposed to artificial lighting interferes with their maturation cycle, increasing the rate at which they mature. This is more apparent in countries that experience long winter nights.
Lighting affects children’s moods as well. By regulating colour, temperature and light intensity, children can benefit from an atmosphere at home that boosts study, play and rest. When a child is depressed, elevating light colour temperature and rate of intensity is advised, while if your child is tired and in need of rest, moderate intensity and low colour temperatures, like sunset, will allow you to relax. To set the mood for study, intensity and high colour temperature reinforce your child’s concentration. When nervous, apply low colour temperature and intensity.
In America, Light Therapy practitioners treat children and youth for conditions such as learning disabilities, hyperactivity, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, headaches, anger management, stress and other psycho-physiological issues in children. Many children have successfully overcome these issues after a few treatment sessions.
An advocate of the Biorhythmic Lighting System, IEQ Global has been educating the public, interior designers and architects on the importance of using appropriate lighting to create the desired psycho-physiological effect in designed spaces. The evolutional IEQ Biorhythmic Lighting System has been successfully incorporated into bedroom and home lighting. IEQ Global works closely with lighting designers to design lighting and control systems that change colours to suit the activity your child is engaging in. For example, your child’s bedroom is set to cool white light when attempting challenging Mathematics sums, warm white light for reading and learning languages and warm light is set for creativity-related activities like drawing and colouring. IEQ Global believes that Biorhythmic Lighting System is the right solution to promote well-being, also called LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability).
IEQ Global provides customized installation and instructions on how to use Biorhythmic Lighting System for homes and offices. Clients of this system include homeowners, hotels and offices in Singapore. Other than the psycho-physiological benefits, the system effectively functions as a competitively priced dimming system which does away with the need for expensive dimmer racks that traditional dimming systems require. With the option of wall mounted or direct remote control, the system’s installation process is relatively straightforward and non-disruptive.
IEQ Global Pte Ltd, as one of the founding members of Singapore Green Building Council, is the advocate and pioneer of Green solutions provider in Singapore. IEQ Global has worked closely with interior designers and architects to best bring out the design space and the well-being of the dwellers.
