There’s growing scientific research that shows mood lighting isn’t just a saying, it’s a physiological effect. In one study it’s shown that exposure to high levels of light in the time before sleeping reduces the depth and restfulness of sleep. Turning the lights down low signals our bodies to start unwinding and producing the melatonin necessary for restful slumber. But lots of times we’re in places where the lights are bright and shining in our faces.

There’s also research that shows the major component of energy consumption on LCD screens is the brightness. According to CNET, “brightness trumps every other setting for saving power,” meaning that no other change to the settings of an LCD display has as much impact as changing the brightness. This is especially important at night and in low-light situations where the screens just don’t need to be as bright. The power is being used for no reason at all and the money is being wasted to run LCD screens at full brightness in dim light environments.

So, not only is it good for you to reduce the light coming into your eyes so you can get better sleep, but it’s also good for the wallet to drop the brightness. The Planar EP-Series displays have built in ambient light sensors that detect what’s going on outside so that the backlight can respond accordingly. So when it’s time to say, “Goodnight Moon” and the world is dark, the EP-Series will respond by dropping the brightness. This saves your eyes and melatonin so you can enjoy a restful night of sleep.

Since the EP-Series is designed to run 24 hours a day, it needs to be flexible with the day-night cycle. Bright sunlight means that the screen needs to be brighter to be seen. Dark night means the monitors need to do less work (and use less power) to be seen clearly. In addition to automatically adjusting the backlight’s brightness to respond to the ambient light, the EP-Series uses the ultra-efficient and reliable light emitting diodes to produce the backlight. Unlike the fluorescent tubes used in older displays, LEDs use a fraction of the power to produce the same amount of light and since there’s no mercury used to make Planar’s LEDs, the screens are even more environmentally conscious. That’s enough to put anyone in a good mood.