Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/turning-on-the-light-thinking-about-lighting-issues-and-child-care/5010565/
It's nap time. In child care centers across the nation, blinds are closed, shades lowered, and lights switched off to create an atmosphere of rest and relaxation. In dark rooms, teachers sit by small lamps or by doors open to lighted hallways while making lesson plans, catching up on paper work, or reading professional articles while supervising sleeping youngsters.Later in the day, teachers and children alike rejoice that the sun now peeks through white clouds after three continuous days of dreary, gray weather. Voices are cheerful with anticipation as young children scurry outside to enjoy the welcome sunshine.
We react physically and emotionally to light. Our moods are affected by light or the absence of it. Our ability to function at peak performance or to comfortably complete tasks is dependent on the amount and quality of light. Too much light can be irritating and overstimulating; too little can make visual tasks difficult. Bright, glaring light causes one to squint and may cause fatigue; long periods of darkness can even contribute to depression.
In the northern hemisphere where days and nights are dark for months at a time, high rates of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) are common. ...