Flicker - your nervous system's invisible enemy (literally)!

Before I TELL you about flicker, I want to SHOW you flicker.  You have to see it to believe it!!

👉🏼 WATCH THIS VIDEO I took (in slow mo) of 5 lights in my home (the ones we never turn on anymore!). 🫢🫨

Did you see the strobe light pulses coming from the light bulb?

That's flicker. 🙀

If you don't believe me, go video tape (in slow mo) some of the light bulbs in your home and tell me what you see!

Flicker is invisible to the naked eye.  But you'll see it in the slow motion video!  Your body (especially your mitochondria, nervous system and brain) DEFINITELY picks up on flicker.

Flicker exists because the main power is AC (alternating current) which runs at 50-60 Hz (depending on where you live in the world).  This means power pulses into your home at 50-60 times a second.

Flicker is especially apparent in "energy efficient” light bulbs which conserve energy by turning on-off-on-off REALLLLLLY FAST! 

Flicker is very stressful for your nervous system.

** Imagine being stuck in a club with flashing strobe lights ALL DAY and NIGHT.   It would feel like a lot to your nervous system, right?!  

This is one reason you feel more stressed and on edge if you're stuck in a school, hospital, store, office, etc. under fluorescent or LED lights.  

👉🏼 It's not just the lack of sunlight.  

👉🏼 It's not just the toxic blue light.  

👉🏼 It's also the flicker.

The government mandated high-flicker LED light bulbs for a while... stating they were good for the environment. And while this might have been true... the unfortunate truth is that LED light bulbs are terrible for human health.

When you're in a room with a flickering lightbulb, your brain has to process an image that's turning off and on very quickly.  Flicker causes:

• Neurological stress on the brain

• Eye strain

• Headaches

• Migraines

• Nausea

• Mitochondrial dysfunction

• Nervous system dysregulation

Which Light Bulbs Are Worst?

Flicker can a problem with ALL light bulbs… even incandescent and halogen lights.  

However, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and LED bulbs are particularly notorious for their flicker rates.  

1. Keep lights off whenever possible… even during the day. 

We never use our overhead lights anymore… especially at night. 

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2. Switch to Circadian-Friendly Bulbs with little to no flicker.

Check out my Circadian-Friendly Lighting Guide for bulb recommendations and discount codes for the bulbs we use (I like them because they also eliminate toxic blue light).

 No need to switch out all your light bulbs. Start with the accent lighting in the living spaces you hang out in after dark. Then swap out bedroom bulbs.

I do a tour of my home in my Circadian Rhythm Reset and show you exactly which bulbs we replaced... and how they look as it's getting dark outside.

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3. Use Incandescent Bulbs that are at least 100 watts.

Incandescent bulbs produce less flicker because they contain a heated filament.  This means they don't instantly turn off like LEDs, but instead have a slight “cool down” period which can buffer the flicker. 

You can put Edison-style incandescents in well-positioned table lamps in your living room and bedroom to use after sunset.  Table height is best, as we want to avoid using overhead lights after dark. 

** JUST BE AWARE… lower wattage incandescents (< 100 watts) can still flicker because they don't get as hot or bright as higher wattage bulbs.

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4. Use candles when you can.

Candlelight doesn't typically disrupt the nervous system the way light bulbs do (we've evolved to feel safe and comfortable in front of flickering fire flames).  I'm a big fan of using candlelight while I'm in the bath! 🛁

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5. Don't use dimmers!  

I know it seems counterintuitive, but dimming your lights makes the flicker WORSE, no matter what kind of bulb you're using.

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Isn't it crazy how something as simple as LIGHT BULBS can be impacting how you feel?  Crazy, but true!

If you want to learn simple step-by-step approaches to making your home and technology more friendly to your body's natural circadian rhythm, you'll want to go through my Circadian Rhythm Reset course. It's got everything you need and is laid out in a very easy-to-follow manner!