Home

Exposure to Light Lessens Insomnia in Nursing Home

Wed, 01/31/2001 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

An article in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests that insomnia in older people may be partly caused by a lack of exposure to light. Dr. Kazuo Mishima of Akita University School of Medicine in Akita City, Japan, led a study of nursing home residents with insomnia and found that exposing them to more light improved their sleeping patterns and also increased their production of the melatonin, a hormone believed to help regulate sleep. Some research suggests melatonin production declines with age, and that melatonin supplements may combat insomnia.

Mishima's team compared sleeping patterns and melatonin levels among 10 nursing home residents with insomnia, 10 healthy residents of the same home, and 10 healthy college students. The elderly insomniacs initially had poorer sleep patterns than either of the other groups, and showed the lowest melatonin levels. The researchers then exposed the patients to 4 hours of bright, artificial light at midday for 4 weeks--roughly equal to the normal light exposure of the young control group. The investigators found that the extra light sent the elderly patients' melatonin production to a level similar to that of the college students, and improved their sleep quality.

An article in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests that insomnia in older people may be partly caused by a lack of exposure to light. Dr. Kazuo Mishima of Akita University School of Medicine in Akita City, Japan, led a study of nursing home residents with insomnia and found that exposing them to more light improved their sleeping patterns and also increased their production of the melatonin, a hormone believed to help regulate sleep. Some research suggests melatonin production declines with age, and that melatonin supplements may combat insomnia.

Mishima's team compared sleeping patterns and melatonin levels among 10 nursing home residents with insomnia, 10 healthy residents of the same home, and 10 healthy college students. The elderly insomniacs initially had poorer sleep patterns than either of the other groups, and showed the lowest melatonin levels. The researchers then exposed the patients to 4 hours of bright, artificial light at midday for 4 weeks--roughly equal to the normal light exposure of the young control group. The investigators found that the extra light sent the elderly patients' melatonin production to a level similar to that of the college students, and improved their sleep quality.