Circadian Light Helping Springfield Residents Sleep at Night

We recently had the pleasure of touring a few of the homes at Elder Health and Living which have recently undergone a retrofitting installation of some high-tech light panels, thanks to Century Lighting. While this may sound like a typical lighting project, what made this retro-fitting exciting is the fact that the lights installed use cutting edge science to improve the lives of the residents.

The cutting edge science being utilized: Circadian rhythm lighting.

Lighting, Science & Health

“Circadian rhythm lighting” may be a term you’re unfamiliar with, for a concept that you know well. Circadian rhythm lighting means, “the concept that electrical light can be used to support human health by minimizing the effect of electrical light on the human circadian rhythm.” Truly, natural lighting. Sun rise, sun set. A simple concept in nature, but a very complicated effect to reproduce using technology. Circadian rhythm lighting is the focus of a number of ongoing studies to see if we can dramatically improve our lives and our health by changing the way we think about light. These specialized LED lights are specially designed and programed to produce light that is more like the light we are exposed to outside- in order to help regulate and return the user to a more natural sleep cycle. But before we get into the science, let’s take a step back and look at how this project got started, two years ago, right here in Springfield.

It All Started with a Bright Idea

This project got started when Suzanne Cavanagh of Century Lighting approached Liz von Wellsheim and Nancy Kroll of Elder Health and Living. Suzanne is a co-owner of Centry Lighting in Springfield and runs LumenElement.com. She works with light locally and is a champion of circadian rhythm lighting. Liz von Wellsheim is Medical Director & CEO of Elder Health and Living everything with a focus on resident experience. From staff schedules, locally sourcing the food – it’s all about quality of life for residents. When Suzanne contacted Liz about this project, Liz immediately saw the potential value for her residents and was on board. With that the project began to take shape.

Project Overview

It was decided that five out of the nine homes at Elder Health and Living would be retrofitted in 2019 with custom built lights, prioritizing homes with residents whose quality of sleep highly dictates their quality of life. The remaining four homes are scheduled to be completed in 2020.

Lights were to be installed in the main communal spaces in the homes: the living room, dining room and kitchen. The lights were specially designed flat, to look like skylights, making the final product not only easy to install, but naturally integrate into the look of the home.

These lights are fully programmable, which makes them incredibly easy to use. Running on a combination of tablets and manual switches; there is no need for adjusting, as they self-calibrating, using GPS to change intensity and spectrum (color of light) throughout the day- and ensure they are mimicking the natural light of their exact location.

What Made is Possible

Make no mistake, this was no small undertaking. The first hurdle to overcome was the fact that flat circadian rhythm lights that looked like skylights… didn’t exist. These custom light panels were custom designed and manufactured by Healthe by Lighing Science, in Florida. They made a circadian rhythm light, but not a flat one. So Suzanne worked with Healthe to have one created for this specific use. The LED light flat panels have a specially programmable driver that changes the light temperature (spectrum-color) and intensity throughout the day.

Suzanne gives thanks to Healthe, as they were such a great partner to work with. Not only did they manufacture a custom product for a customer all the way across the country, the company was hands on during the installation process and the president of the company as well and engineers have flown out several times to inspect and check out the installation.

Once the product was created, the next step was to begin planning the installation. Springfield Utility Board (SUB) got involved and incentivized the installation of the lights after Suzanne was able to provide a 24 hour energy savings report.

Getting Back to Nature

At the root of this project is something innately human: our desire for natural light. Everything comes back to trying to get our bodies to cooperate and fall in line with our natural sleeping rhythm. The light we need to regulate our sleep cycles is deeply biologically rooted in us. And when a person gets better sleep, the benefits are astounding. Better quality of sleep has been known to reduce rates of agitation, stress and depression. When we’re truly rested, our energy is more appropriately regulated throughout the day. For example, there is a study that finds a ‘bath’ of blue light around noon has the same invigorating effect as a cup of coffee, without the crash.

While a dose of blue light during the afternoon can help energize, too much blue light at night is one of the most disruptive activities to our sleep cycles. Blue light is what smart phones and televisions use.

Just the Beginning for This Tech

This technology will continue to evolve and spread in use as the research develops. From homes to businesses the need for a more natural light exists, but in highly active public places such as: Hospitals, especially elder care facilities- workplaces, schools, there is much in the early research to indicate it will become the standard.

Project Results

Residents are happy and say they can feel the difference, some even say it feels like they’re outside. The lights are especially helpful during the winter when it’s harder for residents to get outside. Getting that natural light helps regulate sleep cycles and makes residents feel more rested. Beyond that, these lights produce very even lighting with no shadows or glare, which is good for those living with dementia. It was even mentioned that the art on the walls looks better- as colors appear richer under natural light, what a bonus! By all standards this project has been an overwhelming success. 

A big thank you to Liz von Wellsheim of Elder Health and Living and Suzanne Cavanagh of Century Lighting for giving us the inside scoop on this project and showcasing what two local businesses can achieve working together.