Using light to promote sleep and circadian rhythms

There is growing awareness that using devices emitting artificial light - TVs, computers, tablets, phones - at night can impair sleep and disrupt circadian rhythms. However, there is no serious possibility that this will persuade people to avoid watching TV, playing video games or being online in the evening. A more optimistic approach is to reconsider the design of such devices to minimise their impact on sleep and circadian rhythms. At present all visual displays are valued only in terms of their ability to produce pleasing images. However, we know that there is a quite separate branch of the visual system responsible for controlling sleep and circadian rhythms. If we can better understand the sensory capacities of that pathway - what wavelengths and patterns best activate it - we can hope to produce devices that produce pleasing images but have less disruptive effects on sleep. Using a combination of electrophysiological and behavioural techniques the successful applicant will define the sensory properties of this visual pathway in laboratory mice with a mind to features that can be readily changed in visual displays.