Is there a difference between Full Spectrum and Energy Saving light bulbs?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-full-sp… That page seems to indicate that full spectrum bulbs are probably “better” (approximating a blackbody spectrum) than some other bulbs, but then again it also states that there is no one standard definition of what a “full spectrum” bulb is. Probably your best bet is to get a high-wattage incandescent bulb, but the smaller the better. This is because you can get high wattage in two ways: 1) make the bulb physically larger; 2) make the bulb brighter without making it larger. The latter is what you want, because a hotter bulb (therefore brighter) means that the spectrum is “filled in” better, and will more approximate Sol’s spectrum.
