My roommate and I both hate our overhead light, a looming monster that we’ve named “the big light,” like many people who’ve adopted the term from TikTok. Instead, we love the fairy lights adorning our walls and desks, which provide a warm and inviting ambiance for our room.
Often, I reach for my lamp before even glancing at the switch on the wall. The feeling seems to be the same across the internet, and there are various scientific and design reasons why you should eliminate the big light once and for all in your home.
- Big light disrupts your sleep
-
Overhead light sources, especially in more regulated spaces like apartments or dorms, are often fluorescent, and blue light has been proven to disrupt our circadian rhythm — in other words, overhead lights will disrupt your sleep schedule.
Melatonin, the chemical our body produces to make us sleep, is delayed for an extended period when we look at blue light. If your main light source disrupts your ability to fall asleep, different parts of your life will also start to be affected by that lack of sleep. Also, constant exposure to fluorescent lights strains your eyes, leading to a myriad of different negative symptoms.
- Layered Lighting Is More Effective for Productivity
-
Using layered lighting instead of big light is better for productivity in the home. Fiona Johnston from House & Garden highlights three important categories: task lighting, ambient lighting, and decorative lighting.
First, focus on providing light for certain tasks in your house. For example, add a lamp for reading your favorite book, something that allows you to see when you’re cooking, or a light source to use when perfecting your eyeshadow and eyeliner before going out.
Then, you add the lighting that creates the atmosphere you need. That could be a lamp with an adjustable light level, so you can change the light throughout the day and into the nighttime.
Lastly, add some decorative lighting! This could be pretty mushroom lamps or fun light-up ducks; no matter what you add, the idea behind decorative lighting is to provide light for specific areas to avoid creating a draining and depressing overcast of bright light.
- The Big light can be unflattering
-
Big light is unflattering: it highlights dark circles, uneven skin tones, and other imperfections. When I go into a room with big overhead lighting, it’s devastating to open Snapchat and see how little my concealer covers compared to how it looked when putting it on in my spotlight.
Warm lights, such as ring lights or lamps, work in our favor to smooth out these issues or just make them less noticeable.
- natural lighting has increased health benefits
-
The best lighting is natural lighting. Opening the curtains and soaking in Vitamin D have been linked to decreased symptoms of depression and general mood improvement.
Also, natural light has the opposite effect on sleep as fluorescents. Instead of delaying melatonin production late into the night, natural light keeps your sleep cycle on track and your circadian rhythm ticking to the right beat. Researchers recommend a full-range bulb that allows different levels and tones of lighting for your needs throughout the day and evening.
We should all protest the barrage of big light in our lives. We must champion the rise of sconces and cute lamps to provide light, comfort, and relaxation in our apartments, dorms, and homes so we’re not overwhelmed with the big light in our personal spaces. Let’s get rid of the big light!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!