Recent studies suggest that daytime brightness in care facilities and in homes in general may modestly improve symptoms of dementia.  Bodies regulate how much melatonin, a hormone that is produced while sleeping, to produce based on how much light is perceived.  The body uses light levels to determine when it is daytime and when it is nighttime.

People usually spend more time inside, where it is darker, as they age.  This makes it more difficult for the body to know when to sleep and when to be awake.  That affects the amount of melatonin in the system, which in turn affects our circadian rhythms.  These are internal rhythms that result because of repetitive biological processes—those that recur every 24 hours.  Circadian rhythm can be influenced by a number of factors including the presence or absence of daylight.

Sleep/wake cycles are typically disturbed by dementia which can cause deterioration of mood, cognition and behavioral organization.  Research by the University of Sunderland in England has found that regular exposure to safe, low-level infra-red light can improve learning performance and jump start the cognitive function of the brain.  In addition, symptoms of depression are reduced.  Low levels of infra-red light are totally safe and occur naturally in sunlight.

A prototype cognitive helmet has been developed and is currently undergoing human testing in early stage dementia patients.  Experts say that early-stage dementia patients should see an improvement in cognitive function within a month by wearing this lightweight helmet in their homes for ten minutes a day.

In studies performed in the Netherlands, melatonin supplements in combination with bright light reduced aggressive behavior by 9%.  Simple measures like increasing illumination in both care facilities and homes can positively impact cognition, behavior, moods, sleep and functional activities with no adverse consequences.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care