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A lot of people these days are talking about fluorescent light tube covers. It’s not surprising, considering the growing body of research on the effects of fluorescent light on human health. As new technologies like LED lights are becoming cheaper and more common, we still live in a world filled with fluorescent lights. Unfortunately, those lights affect the human body in many negative ways. The human body relies on cues from light to time many of its most essential functions. From sleep to immune reactions to digestion, many of our bodily functions rely on light cues. Humans have evolved to synchronize their bodies to the light cues of changing sunlight throughout the day. Fluorescent light provides none of those changes and confuses the whole system. Fluorescent tube light covers are attempting to solve that problem, but not all fluorescent light tube covers are created equal.

Why You Need Fluorescent Tube Light Covers

Fluorescent light tube covers were developed to solve a specific problem. The human body functions on a 24-hour cycle called the circadian rhythm. This 24 -hour cycle drives many body functions. It regulates the release of hormones that control sleep and wakefulness as well as stress and mood. It also affects the way that the body handles food that it takes in. That’s why so many nutritionists warn against eating late at night. Your natural bodily cycles treat food differently late at night. It also affects your immune system and other vital body systems that keep you healthy.

In nature, and the way we evolved as a species, the circadian rhythm is regulated by the naturally changing light of the sun. The red glow of sunrise and sunset, the dim light of the dawn and dusk twilights, and the clear, bright light of midday all act as cues to the human body. That’s why many sleep specialists suggest dimming the lights in your home for at least an hour before bedtime. This helps cue the body that it is evening. The body starts releasing sleep and relaxation hormones, preparing you for a restful sleep.

The problem with fluorescent light is that it completely robs the body of the necessary light changes throughout the day. In theory, any artificial light is bad. Living under artificial light without adequate exposure to sunlight can throw off your circadian rhythm. But fluorescent light is even worse. Fluorescent light shines with extra brightness in the short-wave blue end of the visible light spectrum. That kind of light is most similar to sunlight at midday. By giving the body signals that it is midday all day, fluorescent light increases stress and harms sleep and other functions. Fluorescent tube light covers seek to remedy this “bad light”.

Fluorescent Tube Light Covers for Offices

For many Americans, the place you spend the most time is not at home or outside. Instead, a substantial portion of Americans spend eight hours, nine hours, or more in an office every weekday. Although new lights are available that use LEDs or other lighting technologies, the vast majority of commercial offices are still lit with fluorescent light. That means that while you are spending all day under this lights, from dawn to dusk, you are harming your circadian rhythm.

Since the circadian rhythm controls the release of wakefulness and stress hormones, your lights may make you more stressed at work. The short-wave blue light given off by fluorescent light tricks the body. From the minute you get to work to the minute you leave, you are telling your body that it is midday. At midday, the body is programmed to be functioning at a high level of alertness and activity. Putting your body in that state for a prolonged period or all day is harmful. It can overstimulate the body and mind, increasing stress and actually causing fatigue.

To start to reduce the harm of fluorescent lights in the office, many offices are now discovering fluorescent tube light covers. Specially designed fluorescent tube light covers can filter out the short-wave blue light that comes from fluorescent light fixtures. By reducing the amount of blue light that gets through, the overall spectrum of the light is evened out. Light that has a more even balance of light across the visible spectrum is much healthier. It sets a good neutral tone for the body and has less of the stress-inducing effects of blue light.

Fluorescent Tube Light Covers for Home

It’s surprising how many homes today still use fluorescent light in at least some of the rooms. Fluorescent lights are found in kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. They’re even more common in apartment homes. It’s bad enough sitting under fluorescent light all day at work. Continuing to experience fluorescent light at home, especially in the evening hours, can be very disruptive.

In addition to the typical problems of blue light exposure, some people have other symptoms. Headaches are a common response to fluorescent light exposure. These headaches may have at least two different causes.

The first aspect of fluorescent light that may lead to headaches is just the brightness. Fluorescent light can be very bright, much more than you need for daily activity, especially at home. The brightness makes you squint and causes your pupils to contract. The squinting can, over time, cause tension headaches and even exhaustion.

The other aspect of fluorescent light that causes headaches is the flicker associated with some fluorescent lights. This is more common at home where fixtures are not maintained as often. Older fixtures tend to flicker more, and as a bulb ages, it also flickers more. The flicker is usually too fast to see but can cause headaches or even migraines in some people.

Luckily, at home you have much more control over your fluorescent lights than you do in the office. It’s easy to order fluorescent panels like our landscape light covers from Octo Lights and have them installed in your home in just a few days. The products sold by Octo Lights are actually even simpler to install than replacing entire fluorescent tube light covers. Rather than remove and replace the fluorescent tube light covers around your home, we ship you a thin film that lays on top of your existing fluorescent tube light covers.

Other Uses for Fluorescent Tube Light Covers

While office and homes are where most of us spend most of our time, they are by no means the only facilities that could benefit from fluorescent tube light covers. Fluorescent light is standard in many types of institutional buildings. For example, schools and medical facilities are almost always lit with fluorescent lighting.

There is research that shows that fluorescent light has an adverse effect on student behavior and academic performance compared to students exposed to full spectrum light. Separate research on medical facilities indicates that fluorescent light can have a substantial impact on medical outcomes. Patients who were exposed to less regular fluorescent light and more full spectrum light had lower stress and healed more quickly. New technologies that modulate the light in senior care facilities and hospitals to mimic the changing light of the sun show promising results.

Whether you are in charge of a large medical facility, a single doctors office, a whole school, or just one classroom, you can make a positive change. Octo Lights fluorescent tube light covers are an easy solution to a nasty problem.

Easy Ordering and Installation

At Octo Lights, we are all about making it as easy as possible to get better light today. That’s why we make our ordering as simple as possible. Just check out our selection of light covers, pick your cover and size, and check out. If you prefer to upload your own image, we’ll custom print it on a decorative light cover for you. Once you check out, we’ll ship your light covers in a day or two via FedEx Ground. You will receive an automated email with a tracking number, so you know exactly when to expect delivery.

Once you have your new light filters in hand, you are just minutes away from healthier light. Installation is straightforward and may not even require any tools. In some cases, you may find that a flathead screwdriver makes installation easier. All you have to do is unlock your current fluorescent tube light cover and let it swing open. It should remain attached on one side where the hinges are. Lay your decorative light cover flat over the existing fluorescent tube light cover, image side up. Then swing the cover back into place and lock it. That’s all. You can check out our detailed instructions and helpful video here. And, of course, if you have any questions or think that your light fixture works differently, contact us, and we’ll help you with installation.