Lighting Up My Life: Why I’ll Never Go Back to Regular Light Bulbs
Hi Friends!
Disclaimer: Norb gifted me these bulbs. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
I’ve been quietly obsessing over wellness light bulbs for years. As someone who spends a lot of time at home managing chronic health quirks, I’d read quite a bit about bulbs that could boost mood, ease headaches, or help you sleep. I’d scroll past wellness lighting ads at midnight thinking, “Could a light bulb really make me feel better?” but I never bit the bullet.
Then one day, a message from Norb® landed in my inbox offering a chance to test their wellness bulbs. I nearly dropped my phone. Did I… manifest this? It felt like the universe heard my late-night musings about needing better light in my life. I wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity. I was all in, ready for my literal light bulb moment.
Before these bulbs, my “lighting situation” was a hot mess. A mishmash of LED bulbs that were either too harsh or too dim, that cold, bluish glow that made my walls look sad, and desk lamps that left me squinting by 2 PM. My home was functional, but it wasn’t exactly alive.
An Actual Light Bulb Moment
Like most people today, I spend an inordinate amount of time indoors. About 93% of our lives, to be exact, often under lighting that’s “biologically dark.” This means it’s giving off the wrong kind of light for our bodies. Think flickering fluorescents or the cold glow of LED screens. It turns out this kind of lighting can really mess with our heads (and our hearts). Studies have linked unbalanced indoor light to disrupted sleep cycles and low mood.
The harsh blue light from typical bulbs and devices at night suppresses melatonin (our sleep hormone), leading to insomnia, fatigue, and mood instability. No wonder I often felt drained and anxious after hours under a dull desk lamp.
When I learned about Norb’s concept of “light nutrition,” a lightbulb went off in my head (pun intended). The idea is simple: provide indoor light that mimics nature’s spectrum so our bodies can thrive even inside four walls. I wasn’t looking for a miracle cure, but the science made sense. And let’s be honest, swapping a bulb is a lot easier than overhauling your whole lifestyle.
The Science That Sold Me
When I say I’d been stalking wellness lighting for years, I don’t just mean scrolling Instagram. I’d gone down the rabbit hole on PubMed, reading about how light influences everything from hormone production to mental health. There’s a reason doctors use light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it’s not just because it feels nice, our eyes send signals directly to the brain’s hypothalamus, which controls our circadian rhythm, hormones, and even mood regulation.
Most indoor lighting is heavy on blue light in the evening (when we don’t want it) and low on full-spectrum wavelengths during the day (when we desperately do). That mismatch keeps our bodies in a state of mild confusion. In my case, it meant trouble falling asleep, inconsistent focus, and the occasional migraine.
What sold me on Norb wasn’t just that they fixed the problem, it was that they had different bulbs for different needs. Want to feel awake? There’s a spectrum for that. Need to wind down? A spectrum for that, too. The fact that these bulbs are tuned to match natural light conditions at different times of the day means you can essentially trick your body into functioning as if it’s living by the sun, even if you’re in an apartment with one sad window.
Wellness Meets Chic: Enter Norb Lighting
So what exactly are Norb wellness bulbs? Think of them as designer light for your health, each with a specific purpose. When Norb offered to send a selection, I felt like a kid on Christmas. My package included:
NorbSMILE for daytime mood and energy
NorbFOCUS for work hours
NorbRELIEF for calming and migraine relief
NorbSLEEP for bedtime wind-down
From the moment I unboxed them, I could tell these weren’t run-of-the-mill bulbs. They’re LED, energy-efficient, and tuned to very particular color outputs. Norb calls them Nutri-Orbs, as if they’re vitamins in light form, and they’ve even patented some of their spectra.
I was especially intrigued by the NorbRELIEF bulb. I’d heard whispers in the chronic pain community that green light can soothe migraines and nerve pain. One University of Arizona study even found it reduced migraine days by about 60% on average. I don’t get migraines too often, but I do battle stress and occasional tension headaches, so I wanted to see if this “forest glow” could be a new tool in my arsenal.
I decided to fully commit: NorbSMILE went in my home office lamp, NorbFOCUS by my computer, NorbSLEEP in the bedroom, and I kept NorbRELIEF handy in the living room for when I needed it. I basically built my own sun cycle indoors, a chic one, at that.
My Day Under the Norb Lights
Morning with NorbSMILE
Before: My mornings were a drag.
After: The NorbSMILE clicks on with a bright, sunlike white light that actually feels like morning. I find myself feeling more alert while sipping my tea and planning my day. The full-spectrum glow makes colors in my space look richer, my plants look perkier, and yes, my selfies look better.
Midday with NorbFOCUS
Before: By 2 PM, my old desk light had me squinting and reaching for more caffeine.
After: NorbFOCUS is crisp but not cold, think a sunny but slightly overcast day. It makes text sharper on my screen and reduces that tight, tired feeling behind my eyes. It’s marketed for concentration, and I believe it. This bulb makes “deep work” actually possible without the mental crash.
Evening with NorbSLEEP
Before: I’d scroll Twitter at night with my bright lamp on, then toss and turn until 1 AM.
After: NorbSLEEP is warm, amber, and cozy, it’s basically candlelight without the fire hazard. It signals to my body that it’s night, even if I’m on my phone. Within the first week, I noticed I was falling asleep faster and waking up less groggy.
Occasional use: NorbRELIEF
This isn’t my nightly bulb, but when I’m stressed or have a headache brewing, I’ll swap it into my reading lamp. The green glow feels like sitting under a tree canopy, calming, gentle, and surprisingly flattering for skin tone. I don’t need it daily, but I’m glad I have it.
Style Notes and Placement Tips
One of my favorite things about Norb bulbs is that they don’t ruin your home aesthetic. My go-to setup:
NorbSMILE in a shaded desk lamp for diffused “sun”
NorbFOCUS in a task lamp or pendant over my work area
NorbSLEEP in a bedroom lamp with a fabric shade for maximum cozy factor
NorbRELIEF in a movable side lamp so I can bring it to the couch or bed
My Norb Wishlist
After living with these, I’m itching to try more:
NorbBEAUTY (for makeup application and flawless selfies)
NorbSMART (connects to an app for custom cycles)
NorbEVERYDAYSUN (mimics full daylight for those cloudy days)
NorbBOTANIC (to keep my plants thriving)
NorbBUG (yellow-toned outdoor bulb that keeps mosquitoes away)
How to Choose Your First Norb Bulb
If you’re overwhelmed, start with one of these:
Want better mornings? NorbSMILE
Work from home? NorbFOCUS
Trouble sleeping? NorbSLEEP
Chronic headaches or stress? NorbRELIEF
You can always add more!
It’s “Light Changing” And Surprisingly Stylish
The biggest surprise? Wellness lighting doesn’t have to be ugly or clinical. My home hasn’t turned into a science lab, in fact, it feels more inviting than ever. The golden-white daytime bulbs, the amber evening glow, and the occasional green zen session have genuinely shifted my daily rhythm.
Light is not just something you switch on, it’s something you feel.
Changing my bulbs changed my environment, which subtly changed my well-being. My days feel brighter, my nights feel calmer, and my work hours are more productive.
If you’re light-sensitive, struggle with seasonal blues, or just want a home that feels better, look at your lighting first. It might be the easiest upgrade you ever make.
