LED street lights are disturbing my sleep

Like most of us, Karen Snyder had never really paid much attention to street lights. But that all changed last year when the city council began installing LED lights outside her home in a quiet corner of Washington DC.In addition to the light shining into her bedroom, the 63-year-old teacher’s guest room, where she watches TV, is now bathed in something akin to strong moonlight.

“It’s like there’s a ray coming in. Like a blue ray. Right directly on to the couch. If you are sitting down, the moon would be above the house and you’d get the beautiful feel of the moon. This is shining right in your eyes so it’s pretty different than a moon. Moons don’t go this low into the windows.”………..

• Light emitting diodes – or LEDs – first appeared as red lights in pocket calculators and digital watches in the 1960s
• Now white LEDs are used in everything from car headlights to camera flashes and home lighting
• The first LED street lights were rated 4,000 Kelvin or higher on the temperature chart used to describe colour
• The latest LEDs have lower Kelvin ratings and produce a softer, amber light and less potentially harmful blue light
• Manufacturers claim they are are up to 50% more energy-efficient than traditional yellow sodium lights and last for up 20 years, instead of two to five………..