| Learning Objective #1: understand the effects of lighting on sleep-awake rhythms in premature infant | |||
| Learning Objective #2: promot the development of circadian rhythms for premature infants |
This study uses an experimental design and will be conducted in a level 2 nursery of a medical center of southern Taiwan. Fifty premature infants > 32 weeks' of postmentstrual age will be randomly assigned to continuous dim light group (control group) or cycled light group. Infants of the control group will be covered by a cloth on the incubator continuously to maintain dim light. Whereas, infants of cycled lighting group will be covered a cloth on the incubator from 8PM to 8AM but receive the nature light of indoor during the day time. Infants' sleep-awake rhythms will be measured continuously by using Atiwatch-L for 72 hrs at the day 1 to 3 before intervention, day 5 to 7 and day 12-14 of the study period.
Statistics t- tests and repeated measured analysis of variance will be used to compare the difference of sleep-awake between and within two groups. Results of this study might determine the effect of cycled lighting on sleep- awake rhythms, providing an evidence for promoting the development of circadian rhythms for premature infants.