As late-night workers and long-distance travelers already know, shifting time zones or work periods throws the body’s natural clock out of whack.
Even regular folks often find it nearly impossible to get a restful sleep for several hours after sitting under bright lights after the sun has gone down (some call it the Fenway Park phenomena).
Now a Florida inventor is testing a new LED bio-bulb that could regulate the body’s circadian rhythm by helping control the production of melatonin, the body’s sleep hormone that tells us when it’s nighttime.
This can be done by eliminating a small segment of the blue wavelength of light (around 465 to 485 nanometers) produced by the lightbulb, according to Fred Maxik, founder and chief technology officer of Lighting Science Group Corp., a Satellite Beach, Fla., firm.
“We’re looking at a way to filter out that part of the spectrum, and still have a white light,” Maxik said. “Our ability to restore the natural position of where we were and natural hormonal secretions is an appealing one.”
