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There are loads of unexpected benefit that come from swapping to LEDs, but a recent study from Harvard has revealed another!

Typically, falling is painful and a bit embarrassing, but not the end of the world. However, as we get older, even little falls can lead to all kinds of health complications.

According to a study enacted by Harvard University and the Midwest Lighting Institute, swapping to LED lighting could reduce your risk of falling by as much as 43%.

They tested this hypothesis in two long-term care facilities for the elderly, venues where managing and reducing the risk of falling is especially important. Throughout the day, the intensity of the lights would adjust according to the needs of the residents.

As a point of comparison, they also monitored two control facilities where no changes were made to the lighting. The effects were obvious, and the relative low cost of the upgrade means it was an easy value proposition.

You may not manage a care facility, but this simple change can massively improve your health and well-being.

What is it about LEDs that has this effect? Let’s take a look.

Colour Rendering Index

We’ve talked in detail about the colour rendering index on this very blog before, so we won’t go into too much detail again. The long and short of it is that as we age, our eyes find it harder to distinguish between various colours, particularly purples, blues and greens. This can hamper our eyesight.

Lights that rank higher on the colour rendering index make objects appear closer to their true colour, which helps them appear sharper. This improvement in visual acuity can really help you navigate the world.

More Control Leads To More Alertness

One crucial detail of the experiment is that the LED set up would change in intensity and colour during the day. LED lighting is a lot more adaptable compared to other forms of lighting. It’s a lot simpler to choose between multiple kinds of light without having to make any changes to your set up.

During the day, the facility would have brighter lighting, with more blue light. This improves focus and alertness, making it a lot easier to perform both simple and more complex tasks. This naturally reduces the risk of falling- you’re a lot less likely to trip if you’re more awake.

Improved Sleep

As a counterpoint to the above, the lights would decrease the amount of blue light they produced over the course of the evening. Blue light makes you more alert, but it can also mess with your natural circadian rhythms, making it harder to sleep. Tiredness leads to mistakes, which can lead to more falls.

Therefore, being able to adjust between multiple levels of lighting can help mitigate this.

By dimming and adjusting the colour of the lights towards bedtime, you can help yourself fall asleep in a more natural way.

For colour changing lighting that’s ideal for domestic situations, the EasiLight E27 6W Dual White LED Light Bulb could be a fantastic choice. For a commercial location, our Orbit Recessed 12W Circular LED Downlight is another alternative.

Get In Touch

If you’ve got any more questions, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0116 321 4120 or send an email to cs@wled.co.uk.

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