Efficacy of light intervention in improving mood and behaviour, but not sleep in intellectually disabled older adults

Sleep problems are frequently experienced by older adults with ID living in residential care facilities1 due to instability and disruption of their sleep-wake rhythm.2 Light exposures protocols have been shown to improve sleep-wake rhythm, mood and behaviour in several clinical conditions, but literature in older adults with ID is still quite limited. Since older people with ID living in residential care facilities are often poorly exposed to light (both indoor and outdoor), the investigation of the effects of light protocols might have beneficial effects on sleep, mood and behaviour in this population.