Sacred Design Tips: Lighting

Lighting can make or break our bedroom experience. Proper lighting is especially important in creating an environment of relaxation and comfort. The ideal lighting casts a warm glow and envelops all in a soft, golden light. Dimmer switches that allow a range from soft to bright are always good. Side lighting is practical and convenient. Putting small soft-light lamps on either side of the bed can create an intimate atmosphere perfect for nighttime chatting or reading, and for late night trips to the bathroom. Family reading may call for additional task lighting, for which floor lamps are ideal. The key is having just enough light so that reading won’t strain the eyes, but not so much light that our inner circadian rhythms are thrown off or we feel like we’re in K-Mart. Whether we notice it or not, we humans are extremely sensitive to light and our body responds to the brightening or softening of the light around us. Gradually turning down our bedroom lights with a dimmer switch as bedtime approaches signals our body that it is time to rest.

Just before going to sleep, you may choose to turn off all of your bedroom lights, and rely solely on candlelight, the softest and most therapeutic light one can bring into a bedroom.