The effect of light therapy on the sleep quality of the elderly: an intervention study

Abstract

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the effect of light therapy on the sleep quality of older adults.

Design: This interventional study was conducted with a single group pre-test, post-test model.

Setting: The study was conducted in a nursing home in Ankara, Turkey.

Subjects: Twenty-four older adults with poor sleep quality were included in the study.

Intervention: During the study procedure, a 10,000 Lux light was administered continuously for a half-hour duration in the morning over a one-month period.

Main outcome measures: The main outcome measures included global and subcomponents of sleep quality, which were assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and were repeatedly measured at the baseline, pre-intervention (four weeks at baseline), post-intervention (at the end of intervention/eight weeks at baseline), and follow-up (four weeks at intervention).

Results: At the end of light therapy intervention and during the four-week follow-up period, the global sleep quality scores were found to be higher compared with pre-intervention and baseline scores (p < 0.001). The ‘daytime dysfunction’ and ‘sleep latency’ sub-scores were found to be the most positively changed, whereas the change in ‘duration of sleep’ sub-score was less.

Conclusion: Light therapy has been shown to be effective non-pharmacological therapy for improving sleep quality among
healthy elders.