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Let’s face it, fluorescent lights can be a drag. They get the job done well enough. They light our offices, schools, medical facilities, markets, and so many other buildings where we spend most of our time. Sometimes they even light our homes. But no one ever basked in the gorgeous light of a buzzing old fluorescent fixture. In a world of voice-recognizing home assistants, accident-avoiding smart cars, and handheld devices more powerful than the most advanced computers of just a decade ago, we’re still sitting under lights that have changed little since the 1930s. And even in the 1930s, fluorescent lights were not designed to be pleasant. They were designed to be efficient. So what can you do? You could rewire your home, your office, and everywhere else you spend time. Or you could get the perfect fluorescent light replacement lens to completely change the light that reaches your eyes.

Is a Fluorescent Light Replacement Lens Really Enough?

We all know that fluorescent light isn’t great. If you’ve ever sat under a fluorescent fixture for a few hours, you’ve felt your eyes get sore and your head start to ache from the poor light. So the question is what to do about it. You might be surprised to find that a beautiful and low-cost solution could do so much. Decorative fluorescent light covers that lay on top of your fluorescent light lenses—available on Octo Lights for less than $30—can filter fluorescent light to make it more appealing and less disturbing.

To understand why fluorescent light replacement lens covers are so effective at transforming fluorescent light, we need to discuss how light affects the human body.

Light and the Circadian Rhythm

Humans and most other animals have a built-in physiological clock that runs on an approximately 24-hour cycle, called the circadian rhythm. While the clock is internally generated, it responds powerfully to light. Different parts of the cycle are triggered by the type of light around you. The quality of the light around you changes naturally as the sun moves across the sky

In the morning and evening, the sunlight is dimmer and redder. Much of the light you see is in the red, long-wave part of the light spectrum. The red light triggers certain parts of your circadian rhythm that cause you to be more relaxed and, in the evening, prepare you for sleep. Due to the effects of the atmosphere, the sunlight that reaches the surface of the earth at midday has much more light in the blue, short-wave part of the spectrum. The blue light tells your body it is the middle of the day and it should be active, alert, and hungry.

The Effects of Artificial Blue Light

When you are exposed to enough sunlight, your body is able to regulate its circadian rhythm naturally. But the EPA estimates that the average American spends only 10% of their time outdoors each day. The rest of the time, we change the quality of our light by turning on and off man-made lights. The type of man-made lights we turn on have a substantial effect on the circadian rhythm. Some lights, like traditional soft-white incandescent bulbs, give off a relatively well-balanced. Others, including most fluorescent lamps, give off much more blue light.

Because fluorescent bulbs give off so much blue light, they keep the circadian rhythm in midday mode. But putting the circadian rhythm into midday mode all day can disrupt the circadian rhythm. That can cause adverse health effects such as disturbed sleep, anxiety, and even weight gain. But a fluorescent light replacement lens can prevent the harm done by too much blue light. The fluorescent light replacement lens filters the light, blocking much of the blue light and letting the other parts of the spectrum through. The effect is a calmer, more pleasant light. You can completely transform your light with an Octo Light fluorescent light replacement lens.

How Teachers Use Fluorescent Light Replacement Lenses

Teachers are some of our favorite customers. More and more classrooms are installing fluorescent light replacement lenses to transform their light. Teachers report a real change in how students experience their rooms. Check out our testimonials to see some of the stories. Many teachers report calmer, more relaxed students, as well as better, more sustained academic performance.

The experience of these teachers is actually echoed in the results of many studies. Studies that measure the effects of fluorescent light on students have come to some mixed conclusions. However, numerous studies link overexposure to fluorescent light in school with lower academic performance. So it is no surprise that teachers using our fluorescent light replacement lenses have seen such dramatic results in their students.

Replacing Fluorescent Light Lenses in Medical Offices

A medical office can be a strange place to spend time. They need to be clean and professional, but also warm and calming. Many patients who spend time in a medical office may be anxious or scared. This has led to some of the most cliched decorating trends in all of commercial decorating. Lightly cushioned pastel chairs and boring waiting room art are supposed to make patients feel calm. But many medical offices have realized that the light in the office is also part of what makes people anxious.

Like most offices, medical offices are mostly illuminated by fluorescent fixtures. If they are left as they are, the fluorescent fixtures can shine an uncomfortable light. That’s why office managers, doctors, and other medical professionals have discovered fluorescent light replacement lens covers. By placing a decorative light cover over an existing fluorescent light lens, doctors can transform the light in their offices into a more natural, calming stimulus.

An added benefit comes from the relaxing images on many of our fluorescent light replacement lens covers. Images from blue skies to forest canopies to majestic mountain vistas give patients something to look at besides beige walls and tired waiting room art. A collection of nature-themed light covers can even make a room feel a bit more like the great outdoors.

Businesses and Offices Replacing Their Fluorescent Light Lenses

When you consider the beneficial effect decorative light covers have on students and medical patients, it’s no surprise that more and more businesses are installing light covers over their fluorescent light lenses. These covers filter out anxiety-inducing blue light to create a more relaxing and less grating work environment. Office workers often report feeling less fatigued and more able to focus on their work tasks.

The best thing about these decorative light covers for your fluorescent light lenses is that they are extremely cost-effective. For under $30 a fixture, you can improve your light considerably. There is no rewiring, no expensive new bulbs, not even any professional installation. Installation is so easy that it often doesn’t even require any tools. Whether you use your hands or a flat-head screwdriver, you can install your decorative light covers from Octo Lights in just a few minutes. So check out our full collection of decorative light covers and order yours today.