Don’t we all know someone who has trouble sleeping? This is probably one of my elderly mother’s biggest complaints. For her, it’s usually not being able to fall asleep. Then, there’s my elderly friend who wakes up at 2am and can’t get back to sleep. She relied on Ambien until her doctor wouldn’t refill her prescription. I read where more than half of those over 65 years old have some sort of chronic sleep problem.
So, when I came across the following research, I thought, “how wonderful”. Researchers at Rensselaer’s Lighting Research Center are testing a new google-type device that delivers blue light directly to the eyes. This blue light, when delivered with the “appropriate light intensity, spatial distribution, timing and duration”, is effective for the elderly. Why? Because aging eyes and sedentary lifestyle reduce the amount of light stimulus reaching the retina, “reducing the amount of light for the circadian system” ( our biological clock). Alzheimer’s patients may require an even stronger light.
Why is this blue light any better than the current lighting systems in senior residences and nursing home? Their lighting is just not of the right intensity and quality to stimulate the “older circadian system”. And, the commercial “white” light advertised to remedy sleep disorders is usually very bright, causing glare.
Another benefit of the delivery in the form of goggles… it allows for “inclusion and end-user mobility”. Initial testing has shown the googles/light delivery to be quite effective. The next steps will be field studies with testing of those suffering from chronic sleep disturbances while also “verifying acceptance of the device among the test groups”.
I was excited about this research and then somewhat perplexed when I later read that blue light from the sun is associated with macular degeneration. If there are any eye doctors out there reading this, please comment. Is blue light from the sun directly into the retina different from the blue light mentioned in this research?
Sources:
- From Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529112605.htm
- From the Macular Degeneration Research program: http://www.ahaf.org/macular/newsupdates/sunlight-exposure-plus-low.html
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