Does lighting in a room affect our mood?

Lighting can change how likely we are to make pleasurable vs practical decisions. A new study shows that human emotion,whether positive or negative,is felt more intensely under bright light. Other evidence shows that on sunny days,people are more optimistic,report higher well being and are more helpful while extended exposure to dark,gloomy days can result in seasonal affective disorder.

Contrary to these results,another study found that on sunny days,depression - prone people actually become more depressed. The majority of our everyday decisions are made mostly under bright light. So putting of the light may help us make more rational decisions or even settle down negotiations more easily. 

Some studies have shown that brighter light can intensify emotions,while low light,keeps the emotions steady. Saturation here is the intensity of a colour. More saturated colours can have amplifying effects in emotions,while muted colours can dampen emotions. It has also been proven that natural light can make us happier,but colours created by artificial light can also evoke different emotions and have other effects on the body.

White/blue light makes us energetic and can interrupt sleep patterns if exposed to around bedtime due to the fact that blue light suppresses melatonin levels. Neurons tend to be more sensitive to blue wavelengths and least sensitive to red wavelengths. Blue wavelengths can also have an impact on those who are blind when it comes to circadian rhythm.

Red light in the evening can improve mental health. This is because red light in the evening helps in increasing the secretion of melatonin which leads to better sleep at night. Better sleep at night leads to overall mental well being and improved cognition.