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Sunlight Improves Sleep

Category: Health News

(Especially in the Elderly)Institutionalized elderly often have sleep problems, which are often treated with sleep medications, which often lose their effectiveness after a few weeks, and expose the patient to increased risk of falls, mental disturbances, and rebound insomnia.

A group of twelve elderly, demented men were placed out-of-doors in a brightly lit area twice a day, from 9-10 a.m. and again from 2-3 p.m. each day. There were no particular activities planned during the sun exposure time; patients who wished to sleep were allowed to do so. Some patients demonstrated improved sleep patterns the first night after sun exposure was begun. The men in the study slept more hours at night (and during the day) and they woke up feeling more rested.

Earlier studies have demonstrated more sleep disturbances in blind individuals, suggesting that lack of sunlight may contribute to disturbed sleep.

Caretakers in the nursing home observed that the sun exposed men also demonstrated improved appetites, better bowel habits, increased attention spans and improved affect during the sun exposure.

Care should be taken that the patient not suffer sunburn during the exposure. Hats and sunscreen were utilized in this study.

The patients quickly returned to their poor sleep habits when the sun exposure was discontinued. (Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants 4:321-6,1991)