Authors: Rupsa Sarkar
Abstract: Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) governs human circadian rhythms through the response to environmental light. In modern societies, a significant percentage of the population is exposed to delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) or sleep-onset insomnia in general due to continuous evening exposure to light. In this article, there is a description of a novel, low-cost intervention: employing a low-power, programmable sg90 Servo motor to turn blinds 5° hourly in the evening, slowly dimming ambient light levels before sunset. This gradual weakening simulates an earlier sunset by sending earlier light-off signals to the SCN. We theorize that this manipulation would induce a phase advance in circadian timing, enabling one to sleep at an earlier time. This article presents the photic sensitivity of SCN, circadian entrainment process, device design, theoretical background, potential outcome, and future work.
