We use the definition of “biological clock” because, over the course of the day, the variations of light, from dawn to dusk, up to the dark of the night, send precise signals to our body, triggering specific psychological responses.
Blood pressure, body temperature and the production of specific hormones vary over the course of 24 hours.
When we wake up, the morning light triggers processes that stimulate attention span, which reaches its peak during the central hours of the day, to then decline with the arrival of the evening in order to prepare our body for night-time rest. This mechanism, which varies according to seasons and individual characteristics, is necessary for our body to work properly.
A systematic disruption of our biological clock is harmful for our health.
Numerous studies prove that the disruption of our sleep-wake cycle provokes fatigue and sleeping disorders, it has a negative impact on mood and on our psychological wellbeing, it can cause anxiety or depression, as well as gastrointestinal disorders and, if prolonged over time, it increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (strokes and heart attacks) and metabolic disorders (such as obesity and diabetes). Lastly, it can weaken the immune system favouring the outburst of some cancers.
Therefore, according to research, it is important that our body receives the signals from natural light and its evolution throughout the day. Yet, we spend most of our time, whether at work or at home, in closed and artificially illuminated spaces. So what can we do?
The answer is simple: allow a greater amount of natural light to fill our spaces. This is why designers and architects are designing buildings that recover as much as possible the relationship with the outside world. And a great help is given by the technological evolution of artificial lighting, including HCL.
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