The Effects of Using a Bright Light Visor on Post-partum Women

Primary Investigators:
Shih-Yu Lee, RNC, PhD, Georgia State University

Hypotheses:
Sleep, fatigue, energy, depression and perceived stress in post-partum women can be improved by bright light treatment with the Feel Bright Light.

Method:
10 post-partum women (7 test and 3 control) with low-birth-weight newborns were treated 3-4 weeks each morning with ½ hour of bright light via the visor-mounted, Feel Bright Light that delivers 8000 lux of blue-green light into the eyes, or an identical-appearing control device that delivered less than 5 lux of red light.  Pre- and post-treatment test scores were obtained using:

• General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS)
• Total Sleep Time (TST)
• Numerical Rating Scale – Morning Fatigue (NRS-F)
• Numerical Rating Scale – Morning Energy (NRS-E)
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EDPS)
• Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

Results:

Conclusion:
Use of the Feel Bright Light in the post-partum period holds promise for improving sleep, decreasing fatigue, increasing energy, decreasing depression and perceived stress.