Alarm Clock

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The objective is to reinvent the alarm clock into something that is more natural and effective. I do not know about you but the noise that my alarm clock makes is horrid. It is the worst way to wake up someone. Something like that jerks a person out of bed. I can feel my heart seize/jump when I am awaken by a loud noise and I think that it effects my attitude at the beginning of the day. I know other ways exist and in the end I think this total solution should integrate with an entire home automation system.

Lighting

I have seen various studies/displays on how effective light is at waking up a person and/or changing the metabolic systems of a person. The sun has been used to wake up humans for a long time. As time moved on we found many sources of light. Fire, candles, electric, etc and as a species we have benefited from the extra time we had to now improve ourselves and the things around us. One of the more recent things that I have heard about is blue light and lighting in general. The sun effects various means and processes that generate some of the regulating chemicals in our body.

Blue Light

One such process that has been found was a coloration between blue light and its absorption into the eye. I have heard both positive and negative effects from the studies on blue light and its effectiveness in waking us up and regulating our sleep schedules. Light in general has many effects on the body and has been shown to do different things to the body under its exposure.

It seems like as far as the eyes are concerned that some of the commercial products that are advertised to help eye health and such are just wrong. It has been shown that the health of yourself and if you have any eye diseases effect how this light effects you.

http://www.mdsupport.org/library/hazard.html

  • "Include a warning if the product presents a potential blue light hazard for people with retinal disease."
  • "A growing body of research shows that the shorter electromagnetic waves of the light spectrum from blue (also called near-UV) through ultraviolet may be harmful."
  • blue light wavelengths (470nm - 400nm)
  • "According to the CVRL Color & Vision database,63 light waves measuring approximately 470nm to 400nm in length are seen as the color blue. The blue bands of the visible light spectrum are adjacent to the invisible band of ultraviolet (UV) light. UV is located on the short wave, high frequency end of the visible light spectrum, just out of sight past the color violet. It is divided into three wavelengths called UV-A , UV-B, and UV-C. The effects of UV-C (100nm-290nm) are negligible, as the waves are so short they are filtered by the atmosphere before reaching the eyes. UV-A (320nm-400nm) and UV-B (290nm-320nm) are responsible for damaging material, skin, and eyes, with UV-B getting most of the blame. "
  • "Blue light is an important element in "natural" lighting, and it may also contribute to psychological health. Research, however, shows that high illumination levels of blue light can be toxic to cellular structures, test animals, and human fetal retinas."
  • "As is evident in the photographs below, worst contrast (i.e. highest blue content) is provided by fluorescent lamps with ≥3000K color temperatures. Poor color replication also occurs with any lamp with a color temperature of ≤3000. Best contrast (i.e. whitest whites and blackest blacks) and best color replication in this comparison is provided by the 2600K ~ 3400K white LED light source. "
  • "Incandescent and LED lamps are capable of several times the intensity of fluorescent lamps, and there is little danger of reaching hazardous blue light levels. If the intensities of the fluorescent lamps were increased to match the obviously stronger output of the others, the amount of blue light would also increase, possibly compounding any hazard to the retina. The only way to safely increase the intensities of fluorescent lamps to match that of incandescent and halogen lamps would be to significantly decrease the blue and UV wavelengths. Such lamps, however, could then no longer be called full-spectrum or daylight."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_therapy#Mood_and_sleep_related

While full sunlight is preferred for seasonal affective disorder (SAD)[citation needed], light boxes may be effective for the treatment of the condition. Light boxes for seasonal affective disorder are designed to filter out most UV light, which can cause eye and skin damage.[11] The Mayo Clinic Website states that light therapy is of proven effectiveness for Seasonal Affective Disorder [12] and light therapy is seen as the main form of treatment for SAD. Controlled-trial comparisons with antidepressants show equal effectiveness, with less expense and more rapid onset of therapeutic benefit, though a minority of patients may not respond to it.[13] Direct sunlight, reflected into the windows of a home or office by a computer-controlled mirror device called a heliostat, has also been used as a type of light therapy for the treatment of SAD.[14][15]

It is possible that response to light therapy for SAD could be season dependent.[16]


Light therapy either uses a lightbox which emits up to 10,000 lux of light, much brighter than a customary incandescent lamp, or a lower intensity of specific wavelengths of light from the blue (470 nm) to the green (525 nm) areas of the visible spectrum.[29] Newer light therapy devices use LED technology, making them much smaller and more convenient for users.[30] A 1995 study showed that green light therapy at doses of 350 lux produces melatonin suppression and phase shifts equivalent to 10,000 lux white light therapy[31][32], but another study published in May 2010 suggests that the blue light often used for SAD treatment should perhaps be replaced by green or white illumination, because of a possible involvement of the cones in melatonin suppression.

Considering three major factors - clinical efficacy, ocular and dermatologic safety, and visual comfort - CET recommends the following criteria for light box selection:

  • Any light box you buy should have been tested successfully in peer-reviewed clinical trials.
  • The box should provide 10,000 LUX of illumination at a comfortable sitting distance. Product specifications are often missing or unverified.
  • Fluorescent lamps should have a smooth diffusing screen that filters out ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays are harmful to the eyes and skin.
  • The lamps should give off white light rather than colored light. "Full spectrum" lamps and blue (or bluish) lamps provide no known therapeutic advantage.
  • The light should be projected downward toward the eyes at an angle to minimize aversive visual glare.
  • Smaller is not better: When using a compact light box, even small head movements will take the eyes out of the therapeutic range of the light.[34]

Ultraviolet light causes progressive damage to human skin. This is mediated by genetic damage, collagen damage, as well as destruction of vitamin A and vitamin C in the skin and free radical generation. Ultraviolet light is also known to be a factor in formation of cataracts. Researchers have questioned whether limiting blue light exposure could reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.[35]

Modern phototherapy lamps used in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder and sleep disorders either filter out or do not emit ultraviolet light and are considered safe and effective for the intended purpose, as long as photosensitizing drugs are not being taken at the same time and in the absence of any existing eye conditions. Light therapy is a mood altering treatment, and just as with drug treatments, there is a possibility of triggering a manic state from a depressive state, causing anxiety and other side effects. While these side effects are usually controllable, it is recommended that patients undertake light therapy under the supervision of an experienced clinician, rather than attempting to self-medicate.[36]

It is reported that bright light therapy may activate the production of reproductive hormones, such as testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and estradiol.[37][38]

There are few absolute contraindications to light therapy, although there are some circumstances in which caution is required. These include when a patient has a condition that might render his or her eyes more vulnerable to phototoxicity, has a tendency toward mania, has a photosensitive skin condition, or is taking a photosensitizing herb (such as St. John's wort) or medication.[39] Patients with porphyria should avoid most forms of light therapy. Patients on certain drugs like methotrexate or chloroquine should use caution with light therapy as there is a chance that these drugs could cause porphyria.

Side effects

Side effects of light therapy for sleep phase disorders include jumpiness or jitteriness, headache, and nausea. Some nondepressive physical complaints (such as poor vision and skin rash or irritation) may improve with light therapy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome

Often, people with the disorder report that they cannot sleep until early morning, but fall asleep at about the same time every "night". Unless they have another sleep disorder such as sleep apnea in addition to DSPD, patients can sleep well and have a normal need for sleep. Therefore, they find it very difficult to wake up in time for a typical school or work day. If, however, they are allowed to follow their own schedules, e.g. sleeping from 4 a.m. to noon, they sleep soundly, awaken spontaneously, and do not experience excessive daytime sleepiness.

The major feature of these disorders is a misalignment between the patient's sleep pattern and the sleep pattern that is desired or regarded as the societal norm... In most circadian rhythm sleep disorders, the underlying problem is that the patient cannot sleep when sleep is desired, needed or expected.

Attempting to force oneself onto daytime society's schedule with DSPD has been compared to constantly living with 6 hours of jet lag; the disorder has, in fact, been referred to as "social jet lag".[7] Often, sufferers manage only a few hours sleep a night during the working week, then compensate by sleeping until the afternoon on weekends. Sleeping in on weekends, and/or taking long naps during the day, may give people with the disorder relief from daytime sleepiness but may also perpetuate the late sleep phase.

Treatments that have been reported in the medical literature include:

Light therapy (phototherapy) with a full spectrum lamp or portable visor, usually 10,000 lux for 30–90 minutes at the patient's usual time of spontaneous awakening, or shortly before (but not long before), which is in accordance with the phase response curve (PRC) for light. The use of an LED light therapy device can reduce this to 15–30 minutes.[26] Sunlight can also be used.

Light therapy generally requires adding some extra time to the patient's morning routine. Patients with a family history of macular degeneration are advised to consult with an eye doctor. The use of exogenous melatonin administration (see below) in conjunction with light therapy is common.

Dim lights in the evening, sometimes called darkness therapy. Just as bright light upon awakening should advance one's sleep-phase, bright light in the evening and night delays it (see the PRC). One might be advised to keep lights dim the last hours before bedtime and even wear sunglasses or amber-colored goggles. Attaining an earlier sleep onset, in a dark room with eyes closed, effectively blocks a period of phase-delaying light. An understanding of this is a motivating factor in treatment.

Melatonin taken an hour or so before usual bedtime may induce sleepiness.

Taken this late, it does not, of itself, affect circadian rhythms,[28] but a decrease in exposure to light in the evening is helpful in establishing an earlier pattern. In accordance with its phase response curve (PRC), a very small dose of melatonin can also, or instead, be taken some hours earlier as an aid to resetting the body clock;[29] it must then be so small as to not induce excessive sleepiness.

Side effects of melatonin may include disturbance of sleep, nightmares, daytime sleepiness and depression, though the current tendency to use lower doses has decreased such complaints. Large doses of melatonin can even be counterproductive: Lewy et al.

PHASE RESPONSE CURVES - Chemicals and Light - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_response_curve

Vitamin B12 was, in the 1990s, suggested as a remedy for DSPD, and can still be found to be recommended by many sources. Several case reports were published. However, a review for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2007 concluded that no benefit was seen from this treatment.[39]

A strict schedule and good sleep hygiene are essential in maintaining any good effects of treatment. With treatment, some people with mild DSPD may sleep and function well with an early sleep schedule. Caffeine and other stimulant drugs to keep a person awake during the day may not be necessary, and should be avoided in the afternoon and evening, in accordance with good sleep hygiene. A chief difficulty of treating DSPD is in maintaining an earlier schedule after it has been established. Inevitable events of normal life, such as staying up late for a celebration or having to stay in bed with an illness, tend to reset the sleeping schedule to its intrinsic late times.


Its not a disorder its genetics.

Notes

Sound

I would think that something gradually getting louder would be better then the defcon alert alarm that most have now. But would it wake you? I know that someone mentioned that the same alarm clock noise everyday will not work eventually. That you will just block it out because you are used to it.