Did you know LED light health issues can impact everything from your moods to your sleep patterns? Natural light is becoming more important than ever for living a healthy life.
As a candle company, we embrace the power of soft, gentle light and how it supports our physical and mental health. We want to share a few things we’ve learned about LED lighting and how you can finally start reducing harmful light exposure.
The Growing Problem of LED Light Health Issues
While a little LED light exposure isn’t cause for alarm, the problem is that we don’t usually experience a little. LED lights appear throughout our life, from our home computer to our phone screens.
Ongoing research has been testing the effects of LED light exposure on rod-dominant animals (which includes humans!). These recent studies suggest blue LED light poses a problem by causing ongoing damage to our retinas, putting people at risk for becoming nearsighted or developing worse night vision.
If you’ve been dealing with sleep problems,
LED lights often make it worse due to their high levels of blue light transmission. One study found LED light exposure confuses our circadian rhythm, the part of the human body that decides our waking and sleeping cycles. When our circadian rhythm doesn’t produce enough melatonin to make us properly sleepy, we risk falling asleep later or not falling asleep at all.
When LED lighting is such an important staple of day-to-day life, how can you reduce its exposure and harmful side effects? Likewise, what are the benefits of natural light? We have a few ideas you can start using today.
How Natural Light Supports Our Mental and Physical Health
Natural light is soothing, familiar, and…well, natural! As it stands, the desire for more natural light is becoming more common as more people learn about LED light health issues.
One survey of office workers revealed natural light (as well as access to the outdoors) was an in-demand employee benefit. The survey then dove into why natural light was helpful, with many employees stating they felt more productive or slept better.
The colour of natural light also impacts your mood. One in-depth study found that warm lighting in a neutral-coloured environment can increase a person’s mood and visual comfort levels.
LED light health issues don’t have to be a detail in your life. Candlelight is an easy way to capture a little natural light and bring peace back into your schedule. When you combine candles with soothing natural fragrances (see our blog here for more details) or calming music, you can create some truly meditative moments.
A few ways you can start reducing LED lighting is by reducing screen exposure, like putting your phone away before bed or shortening computer time. You can also swap in candlelight for calming activities such as:
- Reading a book
- Unwinding in your favourite chair
- Taking a long, relaxing bath
- Yoga sessions
- Knitting
Why We Love All-Natural Beeswax Candles for Everyday Life
Candlelight’s warm glow has a way of making everything feel okay. Whether you want to reduce anxiety or create a gentle atmosphere for an evening dinner, our organic beeswax candles will light your way.
We provide a variety of candles to suit different holidays and occasions, from tiny tea lights to stylish designer candles. Our candles’ natural glow will give you a much-needed break from harsh LED lights to rest your eyes and keep your sleep schedule in tact. The natural ionization effects of beeswax helps clear the air of pollutants, too, for a relaxing and healthy experience.
Ready for a break from harsh LED screens? Visit our shop to start adding a little more natural light to your life.
References:
- Yu-Man Shang, Gen-Shuh Wang, David H Sliney, Chang-Hao Yang, Li-Ling Lee, Light-emitting-diode induced retinal damage and its wavelength dependency in vivo, 2017, PubMed, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5313540/
- Effects of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes on Circadian Rhythm and Sleep, Hyunjin Jo, Hea Ree Park, Su Jung Choi, Soo-Youn Lee, Seog Ju Kim, Eun Yeon Joo, 2021, PubMed, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8169338/
- Ask The Doctors, Being in natural light improves mood, increases happiness, 2022, UCLA Health, https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/being-in-natural-light-improves-mood-increases-happiness
- Effect of warm/cool white lights on visual perception and mood in warm/cool color environments, Reza Shahidi, Rostam Golmohammadi, Mohammad Babamiri, Javad Faradmal, Mohsen Aliabadi, 2021, PubMed, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8481791/
- HappyFlame, 12 Soothing Natural Fragrance Options for Your Home, 2025, HappyFlame, https://www.happyflame.com.au/blogs/news/12-soothing-natural-fragrance-options-for-your-home