Why the right lighting is a must-have for healthy workplaces

Researchers have been refining their knowledge of how light, in all its colorful waves, plays a big role in influencing sleep, digestion and even food cravings.

As circadian science moves from the fringes to the mainstream – owing in part to the growing US$4.2 trillion wellness industry – new lighting systems aimed at improving health and productivity are headed for the workplace.

“Companies are starting to think about their real estate as a means for improving the health of their employees,” says Keara Fanning, who leads a sustainability practice at JLL. “As humans, we evolved to wake up with the sun and go to sleep at sundown. When our lighting does the opposite of that, it affects us.”