Suggested Lighting for Behavioral Therapy Facilities

There is no denying the connection between humans and light. Several studies have confirmed the ways lighting can play a role in everything from moods to sleep patterns. While lighting is important for everyone, it is especially paramount in locations dealing with behavioral health. Here are a few tips on finding the right suggested lighting for behavioral therapy facilities.

1. Choose the Right Lux

When it comes to improving overall mood, and helping with sleeping patterns, the lux is the most important factor in suggested lighting for behavioral therapy facilities. The goal is to aim for a lamp type that offers around 10,000 lux to get the most benefits. It is important to note that lux and lumen are not interchangeable, so make sure you check for this specification independently of lumen output.

2. Choose the Right Temperature

In order for the lighting solutions to mimic the sun, the color temperature needs to be similar. While some people may think the sun would be most similar to the warmer tones of yellow, this is a myth. The better bet is to choose cooler temperatures in the white range of Kelvin scale to create the alertness levels caused by being in sunlight.

3. Avoid ultra violet rays

While the main idea behind using lighting as a behavioral tool is to mimic the properties of the sun and natural daylight in general, the ultra violet rays found in the sun, and some lighting solutions, is actually harmful. It is important to ensure any type of lighting solution is free of such rays before being implemented.

4. Place Light Correctly

For lighting intended to stimulate sunlight to be truly effective, it needs to be placed overhead. If it placed at eye level or below, the effects are less powerful than when the light spread comes from above. This is partly because of the fact that people will be able to absorb more light when the light is placed at a higher distance.

5. Use at the Right Times

When using lighting in behavioral therapy facility, you want to pay close attention to the time of day and let that dictate when certain lighting applications are used. For instance, the bright lights intended to stimulate daytime need to be shut off and replaced by warmer, gentler lighting solutions prior to bed time in a residential facility to ensure minimal disruption to the circadian rhythm needed to regulate sleep.