Circadian rhythm lighting and amber lighting support patients and staff at Svendborg Psychiatry

Lighting supports a safe treatment environment

In healthcare and psychiatric construction, special demands are placed on lighting. The light must not only meet functional needs but also contribute to a calm and stable environment for both patients and staff. In connection with the improvement of the current lighting at Svendborg Psychiatry, Teamtronic has therefore supplied a project-specific lighting solution focusing on functionality, visual comfort, and a safe care environment, which was intended to solve existing lighting challenges.

The solution covers 3 departments – P1, P2 and P3. This includes 55 patient rooms, corridors and communal areas such as offices and storage rooms.

Circadian rhythm lighting and amber at Svendborg Psychiatry: Daylight, Circadian rhythm lighting and Acute.

Benefits of circadian rhythm lighting and amber

In psychiatric settings, lighting plays an important role in supporting patients' daily structure and stay. The lighting environment must create calm and stable surroundings in common areas and patient areas – and at the same time contribute to a stable circadian rhythm. Therefore, the project has worked with a balanced lighting environment, where light levels, colour temperature, and control have been adapted to the department's functions.

A central part of the solution is dynamic circadian rhythm lighting, where light levels and colour temperature are regulated throughout the day to mimic the variations in natural daylight. The aim is to support the body's biological circadian rhythm in environments where patients spend long periods indoors.

Tunable White amber technology has been used, which allows for the application of a warm, gentle light without blue light content. Amber light is in the orange-red spectrum around 550–680 nanometres and is particularly suitable during the night hours, where it can be used as orientation lighting for staff without disturbing patients' sleep and without disrupting natural hormone production during the evening and night. At the same time, it also supports staff's sleep when they return home from a night shift.

The amber light has a very low melanopic impact (MDER), meaning the light has a limited effect on the body's biological circadian rhythm and melatonin production. This allows the lighting to support rest and recovery at night, while still providing staff with the necessary lighting conditions to orient themselves within the ward.

Intelligent light control from MO2

The lighting is integrated with a lighting control system developed by MO2 with scenarios adapted to the department's needs, including emergency, day, and night. This allows for quick adjustment of lighting to different situations in daily operations.

In the personal room, there is a central control panel with quick and intuitive access to pre-defined scenarios such as Relaxation, Emergency, and Circadian Rhythm. The scenarios have been developed in close collaboration with staff, so the lighting supports both clinical work and patient well-being – while simultaneously adhering to all applicable lighting requirements.

On alarm activation, the emergency lighting automatically switches on in the relevant area, and in case of fire, all lighting is switched on.

The panel provides an overview of the lighting status throughout the ward and makes it easy to control the lighting across patient rooms, corridors, and communal areas. Individual circadian rhythms can also be set up for each patient, with light intensity adjusted to specific needs. All functions in the room automatically follow the selected settings, ensuring a consistent and secure experience.

The combination of central control and local operation creates a flexible and user-friendly solution that supports both the treatment environment and workflows – and contributes to stable and secure frameworks in everyday life.