Senior Citizens Improve Sleep by Stimulating
Biological Clock with Blue Light Glasses
As we age, the lens in the eye thickens and the pupil
shrinks, reducing the amount of light passing through to the retina;
earlier study opted for gold glasses to block blue light
May
29, 2009 - Sleep disturbances increase as we age. Some studies report
more than half of seniors 65 years of age or older suffer from chronic
sleep disturbances. Researchers have long believed that the sleep
disturbances common among the elderly often result from a disruption of
the body’s circadian rhythms - biological cycles that repeat
approximately every 24 hours.
Circadian rhythm determines the sleeping and
feeding patterns of all animals, including human beings.
In recent years, scientists at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center and elsewhere have
demonstrated that blue light is the most effective at stimulating the
circadian system, when combined with the appropriate light intensity,
spatial distribution, timing, and duration.
Although, in 2007, researchers at the Lighting
Innovations Institute at John Carroll University reported they had
developed eye glasses and other lights designed to block blue light,
therefore altering a person’s circadian rhythm, which, they said, leads
to improvement in sleep disorders and Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD) symptoms. (See sidebar for more.)
Now, a team at the Lighting Research Center (LRC)
has tested a goggle-like device designed to deliver blue light directly
to the eyes to improve sleep quality in older adults.
“Light and dark patterns are the major synchronizer
of circadian rhythms to the 24-hour solar day,” said Mariana Figueiro,
Ph.D., Lighting Research Center Light and Health Program director and
principal investigator on the project.
“Light stimulus travels through the retina, the
light-sensitive nerve tissue lining the back wall of the eye, to reach
the master clock in the brain. However, a combination of age-related
changes in the eye and a more sedentary lifestyle may reduce the amount
of light stimulus reaching an older person’s retina, therefore reducing
the amount of light for the circadian system.”
Website says if glasses don't improve sleep, return
them within 30 days and money will be refunded
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
Nov. 13, 2007 – As for many other senior citizens,
reports about improving the ability to sleep grabs my attention.
Researchers at the Lighting Innovations Institute at John Carroll
University say they have developed eye glasses and other lights that
manipulate a person's circadian rhythm, which can improve sleep patterns
among people who have difficulty falling asleep. Circadian rhythm is the
24-hour internal clock determining the sleeping and feeding patterns of
all animals, including human beings.
Read more...
As we age, the lens in the eye thickens and the
pupil shrinks, reducing the amount of light passing through to the
retina. Making matters worse, in some cases, such as with persons with
Alzheimer’s disease, the circadian system may require a stronger light
stimulus due to deteriorating neural processes in the brain.
These physical and neural changes can lead to muted
signals to the circadian system. Factor in environmental influences,
such as an indoor lifestyle with less access to daylight, and you have a
perfect scenario for the development of irregular sleep-activity
patterns, according to Figueiro.
The research team explains that a marked increase
in daytime lighting levels can counteract the age-dependent losses in
retinal light exposure by providing a stronger signal to the circadian
system. However, the color and intensity of commercially available
lighting systems, like those used in senior residences, assisted-living
facilities, and nursing homes, are designed for visual effectiveness and
minimal energy use and not necessarily efficacious for generating light
to stimulate the older circadian system.
Commercially-available “white” light sources
advertised to treat circadian-related sleep disorders are usually very
bright light and can cause glare and compromise compliance.
In this project, the light-treatment prototype
tested by Figueiro’s team was developed by Topbulb.com, LLC, based on
prior LRC light and health research. The device offers an alternative
approach using specially designed goggles that deliver blue light
spectrally tuned for optimum circadian response.
“The goal of this phase of the development project
was to create a device in a smaller form factor or envelope that allowed
for social inclusion and end-user mobility, while still delivering the
required dose of light,” said Topbulb.com Senior Developer Philip H.
Bonello, Ph.D.
The device was worn by eleven subjects between the
ages of 51 and 80 years of age. Each subject was exposed to two levels
of blue light (about 50 lux and 10 lux) from the personal
light-treatment device for 90 minutes on two separate nights.
Blood and saliva samples were collected at
prescribed times to assess levels of nocturnal melatonin, a hormone used
as a marker for the circadian clock, with high levels at night when a
person is in a dark environment and low levels during the day.
After only one hour of light exposure, the
light-induced nocturnal melatonin suppression level was about 35 percent
for the low light level and about 60 percent for the high light level.
In addition, the higher level of blue light suppressed nocturnal
melatonin more quickly, to a greater extent over the course of the
90-minute exposure period, and was maintained after 60 minutes.
Having demonstrated its stimulation effect on the
circadian system, the researchers believe the device could be
subsequently used to increase sleep consolidation and efficiency in
older subjects when worn for a prescribed duration at an appropriate
time.
“The study suggests that the light goggles might be
a practical, comfortable, and effective way to deliver light treatment
to those suffering from circadian sleep disorders. The next steps are to
conduct field studies where we will be testing the effectiveness of this
personal light-treatment device on those suffering from
circadian-related sleep disorders, while also verifying the acceptance
of the a device among the test groups,” said Figueiro.
Figueiro carried out her research with LRC
scientists Andrew Bierman, John Bullough, Ph.D., and Mark Rea, Ph.D.
They co-authored a paper detailing the study, “A Personal
Light-Treatment Device for Improving Sleep Quality in the Elderly:
Dynamics of Nocturnal Melatonin Suppression at Two Exposure Levels,”
which was recently published in Chronobiology International, Volume 26
Issue 4, 726.
This study was supported by the National Institute
on Aging (1R41AG029693) through a Small Business Technology Transfer
grant to Topbulb.com, LLC, a commercial and residential resource for
light bulbs.
About the Lighting Research Center The Lighting Research Center (LRC) is part of Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute of Troy, N.Y., and is the leading university-based research
center devoted to lighting. The LRC offers the world's premier graduate
education in lighting, including one- and two-year master's programs and
a Ph.D. program. Since 1988 the LRC has built an international
reputation as a reliable source for objective information about lighting
technologies, applications, and products. The LRC also provides training
programs for government agencies, utilities, contractors, lighting
designers, and other lighting professionals. Visit
www.lrc.rpi.edu.
Some studies have shown that a short period of
sleep during the day, a power-nap, does not affect normal circadian rhythm, but can
decrease stress -
Click
Apr 23, 2009 ...Circadian rhythm sleep
disorders are a family of sleep disorders affecting, among other things,
the timing of sleep. People with
circadianClick
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
May
29, 2009 - Sleep disturbances increase as we age. Some studies report
more than half of seniors 65 years of age or older suffer from chronic
sleep disturbances. Researchers have long believed that the sleep
disturbances common among the elderly often result from a disruption of
the body’s circadian rhythms - biological cycles that repeat
approximately every 24 hours.
Nov. 13, 2007 – As for many other senior citizens,
reports about improving the ability to sleep grabs my attention.
Researchers at the Lighting Innovations Institute at John Carroll
University say they have developed eye glasses and other lights that
manipulate a person's circadian rhythm, which can improve sleep patterns
among people who have difficulty falling asleep. Circadian rhythm is the
24-hour internal clock determining the sleeping and feeding patterns of
all animals, including human beings.