1. Small Energy Costs Can Grow While one 6W LED bulb doesn’t use much power, leaving it on for 12 hours every single night adds up to about 26 kWh every year. This might only cost between $3/$5 per year for one bulb, but if you have multiple lights or appliances doing the same thing, the costs start to climb. On a larger scale, this creates about 40 lbs of CO2 emissions annually for just one bulb. To put that in perspective: “That’s enough energy to power a laptop for 200+ hours. Small habits compound.”
2. Your Sleep Quality Might Suffer Our bodies are very sensitive to light. Even a small amount of light coming from the kitchen can mess with your brain’s ability to produce melatonin, which is the hormone that helps you sleep. Some studies have shown that being exposed to even low levels of light at night can lead to poorer sleep, feeling more tired the next day, and even long-term health issues with your metabolism. This is especially important if your bedroom is close to the kitchen or if you are a light sleeper.
3. Better Tools Are Available The lights on your range hood are designed for “task lighting.” This means they are meant to help you see while you are cooking. Using them as a nightlight is a bit like using a bright spotlight to read a book in bed—it works, but it isn’t the best tool for the job.
