We have become aware of the damages that blue light can bring to our eyes and the possible benefit of Human Centric Lighting. A psychology researcher at Simon Fraser University, Canada, is looking to explore the effect of LED lighting even more by studying whether innovative LED lighting that mimics natural sunlight can affect the body’s natural circadian rhythms and improve mental health.

Dr. Myriam Juda is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University who focuses on human circadian rhythms. She will be working with Canadian public organizations and medical institutes to further explore how new LED lighting technology that is adjustable and programmable in color temperature and intensity generates the same stimulation to the human bodies as outdoor lighting.

“Despite the fact that humans have used artificial lighting for many years now, our bodies are still very much in tune with the natural rhythms of outdoor light and we predict that getting good sleep and having stable circadian rhythms will improve patient recovery. This study is among the first of its kind. Our partnership with Mitacs, BC Hydro, and the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction will allow us to collect detailed data on how tunable LED lighting affects the rest-activity cycle, sleep and psychological well-being of patients with concurrent disorder (co-occurring substance abuse disorder and mental health disorder)," said Dr. Juda.

The research will progress to the next stage with related data arriving in September 2018 and the researcher will further work with different senior care centers in Canada to discover different lighting solutions suitable for various communities and environments.

(Image: Osram)