Researchers say using special circadian lighting can help patients to get a good night's sleep and may speed healing and recovery, according to an article on the Medscape website.
The lighting common to most healthcare settings was developed with energy consumption and economics in mind.
However, these efficiencies disturb innate circadian rhythms linked to overall health. Researchers suggest circadian lighting should be available to every patient staying in a healthcare setting for two weeks or longer.
"We're designed to be exposed to high amounts of light during the day, not the constant dim lighting found in most hospitals 24 hours a day," Mariana Figueiro, PhD, director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, said in the article.
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