Interior lighting fixtures that change in colour and intensity over the course of a day could be a new way to drive better health outcomes in aged care facilities, according to new research.
Fragmented sleep patterns such as falling asleep during the day and experiencing periods of wakefulness at night can put residents at risk of health issues like depression and frailty.
But a new study from Brown University in the US suggests a LED lighting system that shines at different intensities over the course of the day could be a solution.
For the study, which has since been published in the Seniors Housing and Care Journal, researchers examined the sleeping patterns of residents at ACC Care Centre, a 99-bed aged care facility in Sacramento, California.
Changes in lighting essential to good sleep
Some of the facility’s corridors had tuned lighting systems that brightened during the day and dimmed at night, while others had a static system that shone at the same intensity.
Researchers found residents near the static lighted corridors experienced an average of 3.6 sleep disturbances per night, compared to 1.8 experienced by those near the tuned lighting.
Brown University’s Professor Rosa Baier says the results aren’t wholly surprising.
“We do know that there is a relationship between exposure to natural light and circadian rhythm, and circadian rhythm is important for healthy sleep,” Baier says.
“It’s very reasonable to think that this might be a particular problem in this setting and something that we could address through environmental practices.”
