Keep calm and light it up blue!

Feeling stressed? Turn on the blue lights as according to a recent study, they help us relax faster than the white ones.

Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR), in collaboration with the School for Special Education San Rafael (Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, Granada, Spain) proved, by means of an objective evaluation using electrophysiological measurements, that blue lighting accelerates the relaxation process after acute psychosocial stress in comparison with conventional white lighting.

The researchers, which belong to the BCI Lab (Brain-Computer Interface Lab) at the University of Granada, noted that psychosocial stress produces some physiological responses that can be measured by means of bio-signals. That stress is very common and negatively affects people's health and quality of life.

For their work, the researchers made twelve volunteers to be stressed and then perform a relaxation session within the multisensory stimulation room at the School for Special Education San Rafael.

In said room the participants lied down with no stimulus but a blue (group 1) or white (group 2) lighting. Diverse bio-signals, such as heart rate and brain activity, were measured throughout the whole session (by means of an electrocardiogram and an electroencephalogram, respectively).

The results showed that blue lighting accelerates the relaxation process, in comparison with conventional white lighting.

The results are published in the PLOS One journal.