I read some years ago that the Japanese were retro-fiting some office buildings with fiber optic light collectors on the roof and running the fiber optic lines into the offices.  This brought natural sunlight indoors, even into windowless cubicles.  This natural light was almost exactly the same as the sunlight outside.  If they had any plants near the lights, they would thrive, too.  Why aren't we using this technology more?  Fiber-opticshave been around for a long time and is being used in our telecommunications and cable industry.

Also, we can make better use of different kinds of skylights: big square ones or small round ones that look like a nomal ceiling light.

The title of this article is misleading and unfair.  It is the electric light, in all forms except perhaps the full-spectrum-bulbs, that potentiates the sleep-deprived complaints. It is Not intriscally or only 'incandescent' bulbs doing this.  The typical fluorescent lights are way worse, and the new 'energy saving' bulbs contain mercury and need special disposal/recycling.

Why am I ordered by the government to buy these mercury bearing special bulbs?  To save energy, to save money, get a whiter light, and endanger the environment or my children's health way MORE than the threat from incandescent bulbs!  Don't we have to be off the incandescent bulb by 2012 via government edict?

Who benefits from this regulation?  Who makes the money?  Manufacturers, their suppliers, distributors, investors, government agencies, or who?  Follow the money trail.  

Why isn't the research money put into solar lamps that collect sunlight and use it to power solar spectrum lamps?  No heavy or precious metals my be needed, if we are lucky.  Why wouldn't energy companies develop more solar and hydro-power?  They can constantly try to improve and innovate new ways to utilize their products/materials.  Other petroleum industries such as plastics are not going to cease to exist, either.  Instead of manipulating the non-renewable energy sources markets to make a profit, we consumers must encourage these companies to be inventive, which will be profitable and earth friendly.  The longer we wait to research or further develop, the closer we are to a crisis state, real or media manipulated.

While promising and likely better for our health, are these bulbs really "full spectrum"?  I think that they are as "full spectrum" as has been made for mass commercial distribution, but there are many different types of frequencies, wavelengths and ways to measure light, heat, energy, sound, humidity, acidity, alkalinity, etc.  We do the best we can, but we don't go out into the sunlight?  Crazy, man.

I am an architect and remain consistently aware of healthy environments.  This is not merely the world around us or our psychological balance, but the inner realms best characterized as spirit.  Green design has become all the rage but it is not going far enough as it borrows it's boundaries from capital ventures in order to justify the ends with profitable activity.  There is nothing inherently wrong with profit, but there are limits when information and services are not included because these are hard to sell.

Circadian Rhythms are little known to most people I have met, especially medical practitioners who seem 'obliged to prescribe' rather than offering customized health advice.  Given this dilemma, the how-to era must include self awareness and self diagnosis for optimal health.  have you ever sat with a lawyer who asked you "What would you like me to do?"  This seems very odd given that the answer is to advise and defend.  Medical doctors are saying the same thing to a great extent so without some knowledge, unfortunately, many people are dependent on the generic application of prescriptions and more serious medical advice.  I am appreciate to Dr. Mercola's website that seeks to little known information to those who seek this out.

Regarding lightbulbs, full spectrum is essential.  I am an alternate medical delivery system researcher (including CYmatics, the QXCI, The Orion Bio Scan, The Pap Imi and all Rife Technologies) several which are illegal in the United States, which use electromagnetic waves to measure and aid in the recalibrating of our body systems.  We are made of energy, best understood as light waves and sound waves that are below the perceptual level, but are effected by the choices we make at the scale of life most people call 'reality'.

I was not previously aware that incandescent bulbs have a negative effect.  I would like to know more about this given that GE Labs themselves advised me while a student that incan. light is full spectrum.