Gadget Predicts Proper Light Exposure, Could Solve Sleep Problems

The human body runs on a tight schedule of night and day. Going to work bright and early and clocking out when gets dark. Its not wonder the typical American's day is rife with yawns and grogginess; we're all not getting enough of that crucial light that keeps our brains in check. Now, a team of researchers at Rensselaer University are developing a personal device to measure daily light intake and activity, allowing them to predict the best time for light therapy and get their internal clocks in sync to the 24 hour day.

In short, they're creating a gadget that helps people "Lighten Up".

Sparse or irregular light exposure - something most individuals face on a regular basis - can cause circadian rhythm disruptions. Research has shown that light has an impact on everything from brain activity to seasonal depression and even increase the length and quality of sleep.

Supported by a $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, researchers in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center (LRC) are developing the Daysimeter, a small, head-mounted device to measure an individual's daily rest and activity patterns, and exposure to circadian light - short-wavelength light, particularly natural light from the blue sky, that stimulates the circadian system.

Like a clock that needs to be set for accurate time telling, the circadian clock - a brain based regulating mechanism that controls your body temperature, hormone production, sleep and wake patterns - requires "setting" from the light each day. Very bright days and very dark nights are the perfect regulator for the human circadian system but patterns of light and dark in today's modern world are inconsistent with the natural cycle.