The Right Lighting Can Calm Alzheimer's Patients

Lighting that mimics natural night-day patterns might improve sleep and mood problems for Alzheimer's patients living in nursing homes, new research suggests. The lighting intervention, designed to stimulate dementia patients' circadian rhythm -- which regulates sleep and wake cycles -- led to significant decreases in sleep disturbance, depression and agitation, the study authors said. "One of the main reasons Alzheimer's disease patients are institutionalized is lack of sleep and behavior issues," explained study author Mariana Figueiro. She directs the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.