GE Lighting’s new Align™ technology harnesses the power of lighting to help regulate melatonin, the “sleep hormone”, production, promoting the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle

GE Lighting’s Align technology harnesses the power of lighting to help regulate melatonin production, the “sleep hormone”, promoting the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. (Source: GE)

An estimated 50-70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep issues, according to the National Institute of Health. In honor of National Sleep Awareness Week, GE Lighting has developed a light bulb to help promote the body’s natural sleep cycle; GE Align™ lighting is available on Amazon.com.

“Aren’t we all tuned to the good feelings on a bright and sunny day, or the feelings we have on a gloomy day? Light impacts not only our mood and wellness, but our ability to fall asleep,” says Dr. Gary Allen, Physicist, LED Innovations Principal Engineer at GE Lighting. “By changing the timing, amount, spectral quality of light exposure, we can avoid disrupting the body’s natural circadian rhythms.”

GE Align LED lighting technology is engineered to help promote the body’s natural sleep cycles by controlling the blue concentration of light output. By tuning the spectrum of light, GE Align AM bulbs mimic daylight and suppress the body’s production of melatonin. GE Align PM bulbs, meant to be used in the evening, produce an amber light, reminiscent of candlelight and campfires, and do not disrupt sleep circadian rhythm.

How It Works

A century ago, humans’ sleep patterns were altered with Thomas Edison’s first viable light bulb, and human activity was no longer dependent upon daylight. Today, the use of modern electronics such as computer screens, phones and tablets is further disrupting sleep patterns. These devices produce high levels of blue light, which tends to suppress the body’s production of melatonin, the “sleep hormone.”

By reducing the amount of blue light emitted, the GE Align PM setting doesn’t impede the body’s production of melatonin and promotes its natural sleep cycle. Consumers should use this extra-warm light for about 30 minutes before bedtime.

Conversely, the GE Align AM setting puts off a concentrated bluish-white light that suppresses melatonin production. Simply using this light 30 minutes after waking in the morning promotes the natural wake cycle.

These easy-to-use, familiar A-line-shaped bulbs fit most common fixtures—perfect for any bedside lamp, bathroom vanity or kitchen light. GE Align bulbs last 22.8 years, based on three hours of daily use. Like the rest of its LED product portfolio, GE’s Align technology is designed to minimize energy consumption: The AM setting uses 11 watts to put out 900 lumens per hour while the PM setting uses just 7 watts for 350 lumens per hour. GE Align AM and PM bulbs are available at www.amazon.com.

For more on GE Align LED technology or other GE Lighting innovations, please visit http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/align/index.jsp.