Feeling safe enough to sleep?
As we wrap up National Home Security month with darker evenings, there’s lots of talk about crime waves sparked by the clock change, mostly sponsored by companies trying to sell you a floodlight or a camera-activated doorbell. But there is some evidence that more crimes like burglaries and criminal damage tend to take place under cover of darkness, depending on where you live – Does darkness increase the risk of certain types of crime? A registered report article.
Perhaps you’re one of the millions of people who leave the lights or the TV on at night because it helps them feel a bit more secure – after all, you need to feel safe to switch off – Socially-supported sleep in older adults aged 50 and older: a concept analysis, Associations between fears related to safety during sleep and self-reported sleep in men and women living in a low-socioeconomic status setting.
Paradoxically, keeping the lights on at night could make you more anxious, not less, increase your risk of a range of health conditions and make it harder to stay awake during the day – Timing of light exposure affects mood and brain circuits. Leaving bright lights on could even give an intruder a helping hand because they can see where they’re going – Should You Leave Your Lights On At Night? It Depends.
So what’s the answer?
Here are things to consider when it comes to making peace with the dark…
- Plan ahead – Most of us will need to head to the bathroom at least once during the night. Choose low-level soft, warm lights that plug into the wall and the shaving socket in the bathroom if you can. Although sold as night lights, many are too bright and ‘cool’ to keep your brain relaxed. Look for ‘orange’ or ‘amber’ – and don’t be afraid to send them back if they’re not right. As a general rule, motion-activated products are worse than static models because they pop on and off as family members or animals move around, disturbing your precious beauty sleep.
- Wind down – The darkness seems to rush in when you suddenly switch off the light or the TV. That’s because your eyes and brain take time to adjust to lower light levels – especially as we get older. Turn brightness down on screens and opt for softer, warmer lighting over the course of the evening to ease the transition to bed.
- Draw in – Thick curtains will not only keep light pollution from the street lights out, they will block distracting reflections, increase a sense of privacy and improve the acoustic properties of the space, another important factor in relaxation and sleep – your ears are much more sensitive at night. The Sleep Doctor blog has more information – How To Avoid Noises When Trying to Sleep.
Zombie Zoom calls – what can horror movies teach us about looking better on Teams?
The uncanny – bright light from below breaks one of the fundamental Gestalt principles or ‘priors’ hard-wired in your brain – that daylight comes from the sky. The shadows don’t make sense in this upside-down world.
The threatening – bright light from behind you puts your face in shadow, hiding your expression, especially your eyes. It also leverages another prior – that light signals an exit, so you’re blocking their escape.
The undead – blood flow to your face is an essential sign of life and health – it’s also one of the ways we read emotion. Poor-quality lights don’t give out many wavelengths (poor ‘colour rendering’), so they ’bleach’ the colour and make you look unwell (or worse).
What reading light should I get?
My brilliant sister has three daughters, all studying hard.
One has just moved into a college room with a tiny window, so she pinged me for advice – what task/study lamp should she get?
All the ‘review’ websites have been sponsored one way or another, so it’s hard to trust their reviews. I haven’t put these through their paces, so I am not going to hang my hat on a product.
But here are some things to look out for – and some to avoid.
You’ve broadly got two routes –
1. An old-fashioned lamp with a separate lightbulb – like my classic angle-poise model.
This is the most versatile, eco- and budget-friendly option: you can opt for a high-quality bright lightbulb for now (choose a frosted finish to reduce glare) and switch that out for something else in years to come.
If you choose a ‘smart’ lightbulb you’ll have the option of colour changing et al too – although those functionalities tend to come at the expense of light quality.
2. An integrated LED – the chips and controls are all built into the product.
Here are some filters for your search
- Size – the photos can be deceptive so check the measurements carefully.
- Shape – a longer ‘arm’ is best for typing, while a more focused beam may be better for
- Lux levels – look for 800 lux or more. That should deliver roughly the 500 lux on the desk recommended for detailed work. Most offer dimming, although that will probably come with significant flicker on the cheapest models.
- Colour rendering – ‘Eye Care’ seems to be the word most of these products use, but the industry term is colour rendering index – or CRI. Aim for at least 90.
- Colour temperature – from cool (higher numbers up to 6,00k) down to warm (usually around 2,700).
- And – a word about the planet. These lamps are ridiculously cheap, I know – and they’ll probably get lost in the college move in six months’ time. But they still carry a carbon cost and were made in a factory by a human being somewhere. I couldn’t find most of the companies selling products on the main shopping platforms. Go for a brand with a name if you can – the change has to start with us.