Sleep Induction Device and Sleep Induction Method

Abstract

Disclosed is a sleep induction device which exhibits excellent hypnotic effects using light rather than ultrasonic waves or electrical voltages to induce sleep. When the face of a patient is irradiated with diffused ultra narrow band light having a FWHM of 10 nm or less, the specified wavelength of light has excellent hypnotic effects. The sleep induction device is provided with: an ultra narrow band light irradiation means which generates a blue to green ultra narrow band light having a FWHM of 10 nm or less and a peak wavelength range of 430-550 nm; and a diffusion means for reducing the illumination intensity of the light irradiated from the ultra narrow band light irradiation means onto the skin surface of the face to 1-300 lux, and expanding the emission area to the entire face. The green ultra narrow band light has a sleep-inducing effect, and the blue one has a stronger sleep-inducing effect.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sound sleep inducing apparatus comprising:
 an ultra-narrow band light projecting means which generates ultra-narrow band light in blue to green having a peak wavelength area of 430 to 550 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less;   diffusing means which diffuses an irradiation area of the light projected from the ultra-narrow band light projecting means to the entire face of a person; and   illuminance adjusting means which adjusts illuminance at a position of an eye in the face to 1 to 300 lux.   
     
     
         2 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the illuminance adjusting means adjusts the illuminance at the eye position in the face to 20 to 250 lux.   
     
     
         3 . A sound sleep inducing apparatus comprising:
 an ultra-narrow band light projecting means which generates blue ultra-narrow band light having a peak wavelength area of 430 to 500 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less;   diffusing means which diffuses an irradiation area of the light projected from the ultra-narrow band light projecting means to the entire face of a person; and   illuminance adjusting means which adjusts illuminance at a position of an eye in the face to 1 to 300 lux.   
     
     
         4 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the illuminance adjusting means adjusts the illuminance at the eye position in the face to 20 to 120 lux.   
     
     
         5 . A sound sleep inducing apparatus comprising:
 an ultra-narrow band light projecting means which generates green ultra-narrow band light having a peak wavelength area of 500 to 550 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less;   diffusing means which diffuses an irradiation area of the light projected from the ultra-narrow band light projecting means to the entire face of a person; and   illuminance adjusting means which adjusts illuminance at a position of an eye in the face to 1 to 300 lux.   
     
     
         6 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the illuminance adjusting means adjusts the illuminance at the eye position in the face to 50 to 250 lux.   
     
     
         7 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the ultra-narrow band light projecting means further includes:
 first ultra-narrow band light projecting means which generates blue ultra-narrow band light having a peak wavelength area of 430 to 500 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less; 
 second ultra-narrow band light projecting means which generates green ultra-narrow band light having a peak wavelength area of 500 to 550 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less; 
 light-source switching means which switches between the first ultra-narrow band light projecting means and the second ultra-narrow band light projecting means; and 
 control means which outputs a switching signal to the light-source switching means. 
   
     
     
         8 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the illuminance adjusting means adjusts the illuminance at the eye position in the face to 20 to 120 lux for the projection from the first ultra-narrow band light projecting means and to 50 to 250 lux for the projection from the second ultra-narrow band light projecting means.   
     
     
         9 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to any one of  claims 1 ,  3 ,  5  or  7 , wherein
 the half bandwidth in the ultra-narrow band light projecting means is 3 nm or less. 
 
     
     
         10 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to any one of  claims 1 ,  3 ,  5  or  7 , wherein
 energy at the irradiated portion is 1.0 J/cm or less. 
 
     
     
         11 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to any one of  claims 1 ,  3 ,  5 ,  7  or  9 , wherein
 the ultra-narrow band light projecting means is composed of an LED light source and a bandpass filter which narrows the wavelength band of the light emitted from the LED light source. 
 
     
     
         12 . The sound sleep inducing apparatus according to any one of  claims 1 ,  3 ,  5  or  7 , wherein
 the diffusing means is composed of at least any one of a diffusing lens, a cylindrical lens and a diffusing plate. 
 
     
     
         13 . A lighting fixture provided with the sound sleep inducing apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  12 . 
     
     
         14 . A desk light provided with the sound sleep inducing apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  12 . 
     
     
         15 . A bed provided with the sound sleep inducing apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  12 . 
     
     
         16 . A sound sleep inducing method characterized in that:
 ultra-narrow band light in blue to green having a peak wavelength area of 430 to 550 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less is diffused and projected to the entire face of a person and illuminance at an eye position in the face is adjusted to 20 to 250 lux.   
     
     
         17 . The sound sleep inducing method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the ultra-narrow band light is blue light having a peak wavelength area of 430 to 500 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less, and the illuminance at the eye position in the face is adjusted to 20 to 120 lux.   
     
     
         18 . The sound sleep inducing method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the ultra-narrow band light is green light having a peak wavelength area of 500 to 550 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less, and the illuminance at the eye position in the face is adjusted to 50 to 250 lux.   
     
     
         19 . The sound sleep inducing method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the ultra-narrow band light is projected by switching between first ultra-narrow band light in blue having a peak wavelength area of 430 to 500 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less and second ultra-narrow band light in green having a peak wavelength area of 500 to 550 nm and a half bandwidth of 10 nm or less, and in projection of the first ultra-narrow band light, the illuminance at the eye position in the face is adjusted to 20 to 120 lux, while in projection of the second ultra-narrow band light, the illuminance is adjusted to 50 to 250 lux.   
     
     
         20 . The sound sleep inducing method according to any one of  claims 16  to  19 , wherein
 the half bandwidth in the ultra-narrow band light is 3 nm or less.