Light therapy for Alzheimer’s increases sleep quality, efficiency and duration, according to an important study. 4 weeks of light therapy also significantly reduced depression and agitation.
“It is a simple, inexpensive, non-pharmacological treatment to improve sleep and behavior in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patients,” said principal investigator Mariana Figueiro, PhD, associate professor and Light and Health program director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. “The improvements we saw in agitation and depression were very impressive.”
There are many ways to boost light levels during waking hours in order to correct changes in the circadian rhythm of people with Alzheimer’s. Therapy lights are easy to find at places such as:
- Your local lighting store
- Home Depot
- Amazon.com offers a variety of bright therapy lights
Read more about the studies at www.alzheimersweekly.com and aarp.org
