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It is surprising how little coverage ceiling light fixture covers have received. Schools and homes with children have often been a center of concern for health and safety. We want to make sure that schools and homes are free of environmental hazards. Over the years, with some governmental encouragement, millions of schools and homes have removed harmful substances. Lead paint is now banned, as are old-fashioned asbestos ceilings. Many schools and families have removed those materials from their buildings. For those who cannot afford to remove harmful substances, activists are making a significant effort towards finding an equitable solution. We are similarly concerned with food health. Parents, governments, and the general public have participated in discussions about what food should be available in school lunches and snack machines. There are special government programs to assist families with young children to obtain healthy foods.

So if we are so concerned about what our children breath and eat, why aren’t we more concerned with how they see? Ceiling light fixture covers have been available for some time to reduce the dangers of poor lighting. Yet many parents and school administrators know little about ceiling light fixture covers. In fact, many are unaware that there is a problem with their light at all. Here at Octo Lights, we want to make sure that everyone who deals with children is as educated as possible about the effects of light on physical health. We want people to know more about light and more about ceiling light fixture covers.

Why Ceiling Light Fixture Covers Matter

The first thing people need to know is that light matters. Just like the air we breathe and the food we eat, the light we are exposed to has a physical effect. Humans have developed a close relationship with sunlight over millions of years of evolution. Just as some creatures function only at certain times of day, humans are synchronized to the light of the sun. However, there is much more to sunlight than just light and dark. Although we usually experience sunlight as the same sort of broad ambient lighting, it is much more complex.

Depending on the sun’s location in the sky, and even on weather, the makeup of sunlight varies. Pure white light is made up of the full spectrum of visible light. The colors of the rainbow and all the slight gradations in between, are present in full-spectrum white light. However, sunlight rarely shines with an even distribution of light across the spectrum.

The most obvious shift in sunlight comes at sunrise and sunset. The light of the sun as it shines through the thickest layer of the atmosphere shines orange, red, and pink. The shift is easily visible to the naked eye. But even as the sun travels across the sky, its light changes. At midday, the light of the sun is nearly opposite to its light at sunrise and sunset. Instead of bright red, midday sunlight is shifted toward the blue end of the spectrum.

Artificial light, unlike sunlight, stays the same all day. Fluorescent light gives off a lot of blue light, like the midday sun. That light can trigger physiological processes that are unhealthy when extended to all hours of the day. Ceiling light fixture covers matter because they are the best way to cut down on that blue light.

The Effects of Blue Light

There is a significant body of research on the effects of fluorescent light on children in school and at home. Unfortunately, much of the research is contradictory or unclear. Nevertheless, there is enough evidence to strongly indicate benefits from installing ceiling light fixture covers.

Some famous studies seemed to indicate that both academic performance and behavior were affected by fluorescent light. These studies compared schoolchildren with access only to fluorescent to schoolchildren with access to lots of natural light. Not surprisingly, the natural light made a big difference. The children with access to natural light performed better on academic tests and had fewer behavioral problems. But other studies seemed to show less correlation. In addition to the varying levels of correlation, it is difficult to move from correlation to causation. So what can be done?

While we don’t have completely solid data on the direct effects of fluorescent light on student performance, we do know a lot about light in general. Here’s what we do know:

• Humans have a 24-hour internal clock, the circadian rhythm, that is independent of any outside stimulus.
• Under normal circumstances, the circadian rhythm is strongly affected by light.
• Changes in light can reinforce or delay aspects of the circadian rhythm.
• The parts of the circadian rhythm that correspond to midday are triggered by blue light.
• Overexposure to blue light and exposure to blue light at the wrong times can throw off the normal functioning of the circadian rhythm.

How ceiling Light Fixture Covers Can Help

So what is the role of ceiling light fixture covers in all of this? The main effect has to do with the final bullet point. Since blue light has such a substantial impact on the circadian rhythm, it is important to limit exposure to midday and natural light. Ceiling light fixture covers can filter out the blue light that comes from fluorescent light fixtures. Even LEDs, which have become very popular, seem to give off a lot of blue light. Ceiling light fixture covers can help with LED fixtures, too.

While there is some disagreement on the exact science behind the effects of blue light, one thing we can be sure of is how teachers have responded to our products. We are proud to have provided Octo Lights ceiling light fixture covers for schools and classrooms all over the country. Teachers love them, and so do their students. Here’s just a little of what they say:

Lauren I. told us that her “classroom is so much more calming and [her] kids are calmer too and tend to have less anxiety while working.”

Connie D. runs a school computer lab. She went the extra mile and installed nine different ceiling light fixture covers with nine different themes. She told us that “you walk into the computer lab and there is a very calming mood immediately, and the students LOVE all nine different themes we have in the classroom!” We love that we’re making a difference for all the students who come through Connie’s room each day.

This is just a small example of why we are confident that our ceiling light fixture covers are great for schools.

Ceiling Light Fixture Covers at Home

While we hear a lot from teachers who use their ceiling light fixture covers in school, we’re also concerned about the light children are exposed to at home. Numerous studies have highlighted the danger of blue light from electronic devices. Both children and adults are guilty of too much screen time. Sleep experts and psychologists warn that the blue light from these devices is affecting our sleep and mental health.

At Octo Lights, we know that blue light doesn’t just come from devices. If you have fluorescent or LED lights in your home, you have blue light. Fluorescents (including CFLs) and LED bulbs are great ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. Just make sure that you are filtering out that blue light. Octo Lights ceiling light fixture covers are a great way to get the energy and environmental benefits without sacrificing health. So if you are ready to enjoy healthy light today, check out our full collection to find your perfect ceiling light fixture covers.