This is an interesting study on Full Spectrum Lighting. One paper, done in the early 1990's was based on a review of full spectrum lighting and pilot study conducted from 1981 to 1985 and looked at the progress of students under different types of lighting. The results indicated that students under full spectrum fluorescent lamps had better attendance, achievement and growth than students did under other types of lights.
Another paper is critical of the scientific methods used to evaluate full spectrum lights. It concludes that it is unknown if full spectrum lights are helpful or not.
The study, which is made up of four papers, is definately worth a read if you are wondering if full spectrum lamps are really worth investing in or not.
Personally, I have found full spectrum lighting to be useful simply because it is brighter than normal lights, though I have not had much experience with using them as anything other than reading lights. And, because I live in the Southern US, I don't have a lot of dark days to give it a good test. However, I do use a dawn simulator with a full spectrum light as an alarm clock and have found it much easier to arise in the morning. My mother, who lives in a climate where it does get dark in the winter, swears by her full spectrum light and says she really feels a difference when she uses it versus when she used regular lights.
Maybe there is something to full spectrum lights and maybe there isn't. The way I look at it, it can't hurt to give it a try.
Popularity: 2% [?]
