Are Your Grow Lights Killing You?

[treehugger]

Most of us are not aware of the dire side effects that we can suffer from injudicious applications of strong light in opposition to our natural circadian cycles. I'm sure not many understand the heightened risks of diabetes, cancer and mental illness.

 

Here's some recent information:

http://scienceblog.com/41752/room-light-before-bedtime-may-impact-sleep-quality-blood-pressure-and-diabetes-risk/

[Retta]

I have Seasonal Affective Disorder and the lights might be keeping from deep depression in MI.

[phaquetoo]

I stilll dont understand! if you were warning about grow lites most people have them on when they sleep(at least that is what a lil thing called common sense tells me)and most dont sleep in their g.r accept for tarzan lmao (jk doc)

 

are we suppose to just live in the dark after 5:30 pm? when im sleepy I can fall asleep standing up, nothing stops me lites, sun, radio, t,v or people, I guess im lucky that way, and beleive it or not my blood pressure is not high nor my glucose, and since losing 120 lbs 4 yrs ago, i am not pre diabetic any longer either, but man if that sun dont shine for a few days, i get moody!

 

Peace

FTW

Jim

[mibrains]

i am not sure how to feel about this article.

are they actually suggesting we dont use lights so our melatonin levels elevate? ok in a perfect world maybe, but it gets dark here by 5-5:30 this time of year. i think i would be even worse off if i turned off light produced by electricity....even if i were to read by firelight i think i would go CRAZY--er...

[Hempcheff]

I have been bunny muffiny for years once green turns to gray here in Michigan. I know its from the seasons changing, and for me lack of the sun. This year though, even though im having some of the worst times in years, im finding im not nearly as down as in the past. whether it is psychological or not, I love feeling the lights as much as the plants do i think i make frequent visits to my room daily, even my cat basks in the rays that come through the closet door. I also bring izzy in the room daily for about 30 minutes, she loves it!

 

 

Izzy:

 

[phaquetoo]

im glad izzy is not the cat, nothing worse than cat hairs all in your smoke!

 

Peace

FTW

Jim

 

growing is addicting, of course you go in there several times a day if you can! I want a tanning bed, not so much for the tan but for the lite!

[master.caregiver]

i can imagine if u spent 100% of your time under the lights then maybe. how many lumen's does the sun put out?

[treehugger]

This is one of those topics that is easy to ignore, it seems like fairy's and magic, how could something natural and wholesome like daylight do us any harm - but remember, you CAN drown in water...

 

There is not a lot of research on this subject, certainly none in reference to this trade, but this study illustrates that artificial lighting of any intensity, applied in opposition to our natural circadian rhythm's can have disastrous results on our biological systems. Not all folk are sublimely sensitive, nor will all exhibit every symptom possible, but most will suffer some deficit that might never be fully ascribed to it's real source. Diabetes? (you're overweight!) Depressed? (take some ssri's!) Cancer? (you eat bacon, don't you!)

 

I know there are pro's out there that use the economy's of flip boxes to run their operations 24/7, and i understand the resiliency of youth, but it's beginning to look like that would be a very toxic prescription without adequate informed precautions.

 

Here's another recent article that touches on the subject:

 

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/19/sleeping-or-not-by-the-wrong-clock/

[+itssortalegal10]

i am not sure how to feel about this article.

are they actually suggesting we dont use lights so our melatonin levels elevate? ok in a perfect world maybe, but it gets dark here by 5-5:30 this time of year. i think i would be even worse off if i turned off light produced by electricity....even if i were to read by firelight i think i would go CRAZY--er...

OK for real screen name tree hugger lol...Nuff said right? Electricity baaaaaad garbage baaaaaad dont burn wood cuz its baaaaad lol sheep much.....baaaad

[Glacier Hills]

Ever been in jail?

florescent lights 24/7. it's hard on your brain, the flicker the humming. But as anyone who keeps reptiles knows light, especially strong light helps the body produce vitamin D.

there are worse things all around us. anyone elses' eyes burn when the walk into an bigbox type store? that formaldehyde out gassing along with other toxins. sat in a brand new car latley? that new car smell it full of toxins from the plastic drying.

[+EdwardGlen]

In the grand scheme of things your help is appreciated but I hope you understand that anything even closely resembling an attempt to sway people away (fear mongering is one) from cultivating cannabis is seen as an attack on our rights especially with the recent goon squad tactics.

 

Peace

[treehugger]

OK for real screen name tree hugger lol...Nuff said right? Electricity baaaaaad garbage baaaaaad dont burn wood cuz its baaaaad lol sheep much.....baaaad

 

I said nothing of the sort, and i would appreciate it if you would not try to put your bad words in my mouth. I understand that it is comforting for simple minds to denigrate what they cannot understand, however it would be much more constructive to ask questions rather than howling at the moon from the children's table....

[treehugger]

In the grand scheme of things your help is appreciated but I hope you understand that anything even closely resembling an attempt to sway people away (fear mongering is one) from cultivating cannabis is seen as an attack on our rights especially with the recent goon squad tactics.

 

Peace

 

Did not say word one about NOT cultivating under lights, however i might possibly be guilty of fear-mongering! It was my tabloid attempt at drawing the eye to a subject not mentioned before in conjunction with this industry.

 

I was hopeful of some discussion about how to confront this issue, it seems like careful scheduling of the daily light cycle could eliminate this as a problem for susceptible individuals. This stuff is real folks, and right now there is no thought as to how this might affect growers who are exposed to MASSIVE light inputs.

 

 

 

" The February 15, 2005 issue of American Family Physician noted that shift work has been associated with cluster headaches. Health problems in the short term can also include fatigue, stress and loss of concentration, a higher rate of absence from the job and poor sexual performance, as shown in the majority of 200 variable-shift workers in a recent study in Kuwait.[7]

Long term consequences of disturbing natural circadian rhythms have been investigated also. A study by Knutsson et al. in 1986 found that shift workers who had worked in that method for 15 years or more were 300% more likely to develop ischemic heart disease.

In 1978 Cohen et al. proposed that reduced production of the hormone melatonin might increase the risk of breast cancer, citing "environmental lighting" as a possible causal factor.[8] Working the night shift first became associated with higher rates of cancer in 1987. This may be due to alterations in circadian rhythm: melatonin, a known tumor suppressant, is generally produced at night and late shifts may disrupt its production. Multiple studies have documented a link between night shift work and the increased incidence of breast cancer.[9][10][11][12]

The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer listed "shiftwork that involves circadian disruption" as a probable carcinogen in 2007 (IARC Press release No. 180).[13][14]

UCSF neurologist Louis Ptacek, who studies circadian rhythms, genes and sleep behaviors, has been quoted: "It's not surprising, we have evolved on a planet that is rotating every 24 hours. Our internal clock is more than just when we sleep and wake. It's related to cell division and it regulates our immune systems. When we battle our internal clock, that has complications."[15]

A good review of current knowledge of the health consequences of exposure to artificial light at night and an explanation of the causal mechanisms was published in the Journal of Pineal Research in 2007.[16]

One study suggests that, for those working a night shift (such as 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), it may be advantageous to sleep in the evening (2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) rather than the morning (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). The study's evening sleep subjects had 37% fewer episodes of attentional impairment than the morning sleepers.[17]

The health consequences of shift work may depend on whether one is a day person or a night person"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_work_sleep_disorder

[The Digital Nomad]

I thought it was going to be more substantial - like leaking Sodium and Mercury from aging HID bulbs.

Good thing I have aircooled, glassed, vented lights - so any gas leaks from the bulbs, even from expolsion will not scatter over my grow.

 

As far as lights disturbing sleeping - its subjective. You can eat healthy, exercise, take melononin supplements, ensure you sleep 8hours a day (anyone?) Mess with eating, exercise, stress, and lack of sleep - any one of those things will impair your function. Its not the lights.

 

Bright lights have been shown to help depressive patients - on dark, dull days outside, the patient can sit in the grow room for at least an hour - to signal the body its daytime.

 

-DN

[drtarzanmd]

 

 

Bright lights have been shown to help depressive patients - on dark, dull days outside, the patient can sit in the grow room for at least an hour - to signal the body its daytime.

 

-DN

 

 

This is Very True ...

 

If i don't spend 30 minutes in my room ,

I don't feel good ...

 

It's like i can feel my Body Changing from inside ....

and the warmth helps ease the pain ...

 

When Jane feel Bad ,

She likes spending time w/ the Girls too ...

 

You can tell when she has' nt been in there ...

Her mood is easy felt ...

[mibrains]

in a perfect world..where sleep could come when u were tired and it was actually night time...this study would be good...

unfortunately my societal need out weight my body's real and true need for an accurate planetary circadian rhythum....

society sets rules

bedtime

prime time

school and work at a certain time

mental programing wouldn't work if we stopped listening and quit watching commercials...why are there commercials on TV, radio, newspapers, books, magazines.....pretty much everywhere you look?

simple

because it works

wanna win the war on our government taking our controls?

simple

he who has the biggest mouth wins...

always

and forever

advertising and getting the message out is the only way....you cant change a mind...you can only attempt to reprogram it...

like the Borg

we really have been assimilated...

[Budz-4-U]

Think I remember there being a difference between MH light and HPS light. Besides the veg and flower cycles.

 

Think the MH has more harmful rays, compared to the HPS. Something like UVA or UVB. That would be a skin cancer issue for lighter skinned growers, and people who take certain medications that make them more sensitive to the sun. Too tired to Google it....should be easy to find.

 

All that being said, we all get more sun cutting the grass, driving into the sun, or a day at the beach.....I'm guessing.

 

Comes back to moderation and common sense. Don't stare at the bulbs. Maybe wear a baseball cap, to cut down on the glare. Sunglasses if you are just going to sit in there a while for light therapy. Sun tan lotion for real extended periods.

 

We try to re-create the sun indoors, it would make sense to take the same precautions inside, as we do during the summer months outdoors.

 

I am not a Light Specialist....... but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express !!

[badbert]

Learned first hand the effects of Sunshine on your system. A few years back my company sent me to work in their Palm Springs facility four 4 months. Sunshine every day! Towards the end, I had to do some location work in Vancouver B.C.. It rained almost every day and we rarely saw. the sun. I had to mentally restrain myself from snapping at people over nothing. I was so depressed, I seriously was worried about my sanity. But then we went back to Palm Springs. After a day in the sunshine I was radiant again. It really does affect you!

[mizerman]

In the grand scheme of things your help is appreciated but I hope you understand that anything even closely resembling an attempt to sway people away (fear mongering is one) from cultivating cannabis is seen as an attack on our rights especially with the recent goon squad tactics.

 

Peace

I was just about to say the same exact thing. Seems like a very weird post for our website - just my opinion.

 

Mizerman

[mizerman]

Did not say word one about NOT cultivating under lights, however i might possibly be guilty of fear-mongering! It was my tabloid attempt at drawing the eye to a subject not mentioned before in conjunction with this industry.

 

I was hopeful of some discussion about how to confront this issue, it seems like careful scheduling of the daily light cycle could eliminate this as a problem for susceptible individuals. This stuff is real folks, and right now there is no thought as to how this might affect growers who are exposed to MASSIVE light inputs.

 

 

 

" The February 15, 2005 issue of American Family Physician noted that shift work has been associated with cluster headaches. Health problems in the short term can also include fatigue, stress and loss of concentration, a higher rate of absence from the job and poor sexual performance, as shown in the majority of 200 variable-shift workers in a recent study in Kuwait.[7]

Long term consequences of disturbing natural circadian rhythms have been investigated also. A study by Knutsson et al. in 1986 found that shift workers who had worked in that method for 15 years or more were 300% more likely to develop ischemic heart disease.

In 1978 Cohen et al. proposed that reduced production of the hormone melatonin might increase the risk of breast cancer, citing "environmental lighting" as a possible causal factor.[8] Working the night shift first became associated with higher rates of cancer in 1987. This may be due to alterations in circadian rhythm: melatonin, a known tumor suppressant, is generally produced at night and late shifts may disrupt its production. Multiple studies have documented a link between night shift work and the increased incidence of breast cancer.[9][10][11][12]

The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer listed "shiftwork that involves circadian disruption" as a probable carcinogen in 2007 (IARC Press release No. 180).[13][14]

UCSF neurologist Louis Ptacek, who studies circadian rhythms, genes and sleep behaviors, has been quoted: "It's not surprising, we have evolved on a planet that is rotating every 24 hours. Our internal clock is more than just when we sleep and wake. It's related to cell division and it regulates our immune systems. When we battle our internal clock, that has complications."[15]

A good review of current knowledge of the health consequences of exposure to artificial light at night and an explanation of the causal mechanisms was published in the Journal of Pineal Research in 2007.[16]

One study suggests that, for those working a night shift (such as 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), it may be advantageous to sleep in the evening (2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) rather than the morning (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). The study's evening sleep subjects had 37% fewer episodes of attentional impairment than the morning sleepers.[17]

The health consequences of shift work may depend on whether one is a day person or a night person"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_work_sleep_disorder

Eating too much cheese keeps me out of the bathroom...

[SublimeWind]

Most of us are not aware of the dire side effects that we can suffer from injudicious applications of strong light in opposition to our natural circadian cycles. I'm sure not many understand the heightened risks of diabetes, cancer and mental illness.

 

Here's some recent information:

http://scienceblog.com/41752/room-light-before-bedtime-may-impact-sleep-quality-blood-pressure-and-diabetes-risk/

 

 

This is one of those topics that is easy to ignore, it seems like fairy's and magic, how could something natural and wholesome like daylight do us any harm - but remember, you CAN drown in water...

 

There is not a lot of research on this subject, certainly none in reference to this trade, but this study illustrates that artificial lighting of any intensity, applied in opposition to our natural circadian rhythm's can have disastrous results on our biological systems. Not all folk are sublimely sensitive, nor will all exhibit every symptom possible, but most will suffer some deficit that might never be fully ascribed to it's real source. Diabetes? (you're overweight!) Depressed? (take some ssri's!) Cancer? (you eat bacon, don't you!)

 

I know there are pro's out there that use the economy's of flip boxes to run their operations 24/7, and i understand the resiliency of youth, but it's beginning to look like that would be a very toxic prescription without adequate informed precautions.

 

Here's another recent article that touches on the subject:

 

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/19/sleeping-or-not-by-the-wrong-clock/

 

 

Don't step outside into a parking lot at night... Don't turn your lights on in the house at night...

 

Live like the Amish and what? what do we win... ???

 

but most will suffer some deficit that might never be fully ascribed to it's real source. Diabetes? (you're overweight!) Depressed? (take some ssri's!) Cancer? (you eat bacon, don't you!)

 

MOST.... that's a p-r-e-t-t-y big bold statement...

 

So you are saying that light cycle has something to do with these problems over our air quality, or water quality..

 

Come on...

[+EdwardGlen]

Eating too much cheese keeps me out of the bathroom...

 

[+itssortalegal10]

I said nothing of the sort, and i would appreciate it if you would not try to put your bad words in my mouth. I understand that it is comforting for simple minds to denigrate what they cannot understand, however it would be much more constructive to ask questions rather than howling at the moon from the children's table....

Simple minds eh..MMMkay whatever you need to say there "treehugger" The name alone is suspect after a post like this and as you can see most are saying basically what I said..One person accused you of using fear tactics rofl..As a matter of fact someone in here said that they have seasonal depression and the lights probably help them...My mother has the same stuff and sits in them and she has been doing better with hers...Maybe I am a person with a simple mind but my small tiny brain read what you typed and saw "LIGHTS BAAAD" and unfortunately whatever the motives were behind your post thats how it seemed to have sounded to a few others as well...Thanks for an attempt at an insult though, it really made my day

 

specially aftah oders ageed wif ma

 

GROW YOUR PLANTS IN THE DARK BIOTCHES LOL

 

later

 

retard..aka joe

[lawyercaregiver]

i can imagine if u spent 100% of your time under the lights then maybe. how many lumen's does the sun put out?

 

 

A whole lot! This is junk science. Next thing we will hear is that marijuana causes global warming......

[Royal Smoke]

I have Seasonal Affective Disorder and the lights might be keeping from deep depression in MI.

 

I was just thinking that Retta! Not too much Winter Blues coming out of me this year. Grow your own if you're feeling depression or the winter blues. The lights and plants really help. I couldn't put my finger on it for a bit......