Researchers at the UC Davis Lighting Technology Center in California are studying how lighting affects stress and emotions. Their findings are now beginning to influence the design of cars, hospitals and homes.
Veronica Then, the center’s digital communications specialist, explained the study on California Tonight. She told host Edie Lambert the project began when UCD researchers were approached by Toyota to test whether changes to interior lighting could impact the stress levels of people traveling in autonomous vehicles.
“The car manufacturer and researchers at our center wanted to see if there was a relationship between lighting and emotions,” Then explained. The team used researchers from the Center for Mind and Brain to design the experiment. First, they had to create stress in the participants.
They were taken to what Then described as a “stress laboratory,” a dark and unsettling room.
“I had to stand in front of a jury that looked at me silently, blankly. And I had to give my speech right then and there and deliver it under these blinding lights,” she said. “I remember I was just freaking out, that’s the whole point of this procedure.”
Once their stress levels were documented, participants were exposed to different lighting conditions, including red, blue, green, white and amber. One after the other, participants showed a strong preference for one of the colors, as well as physical markers of stress reduction.
“When the room was lit with amber lighting, I definitely felt more calm and relaxed,” Then said. She also explained why orange lighting has such an impact on us. “It’s reminiscent of the sunset, so it signals to our body that it’s time to relax and unwind.”
The research is already being applied at hospitals in Irvine and Davis.
“At the UC Davis California Tower, a hospital under construction, we will install orange nighttime lighting in patient rooms to aid navigation and mitigate falls and trips,” Then said. “At the same time, we’re going to see adjustable lights in nurses’ stations to improve their health.”
For nurses’ stations, lighting options are tailored to their shifts.
“For nurses who work night shifts, they would like to be exposed to bright, white light because it promotes wakefulness,” Then said. “And for nurses who are working normally, they may not want to be exposed to white light, so they may choose the orange option.”
Then we also shared tips on using lighting to create better environments at home.
“It’s actually pretty easy to implement this in your home,” she said. “There are many dimmable bulbs and fixtures available. But what you really need to remember is that during the day you would want a cool white light to promote wakefulness and towards night you would want to switch to a warm amber light to tell your body it’s time to rest.”
Click here to learn more about this study.
This story was featured on our new show California Tonight. It airs Monday to Friday at 7:30 p.m. Watch on KCRA and KSBW.
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