Toward Sustainable Gentle Awakenings and Sleep Inertia Mitigation: A Low-Cost IoT-Based Adaptable Lighting and Temperature Control Approach

• Published in: Sustainability 2022-07, Vol.14 (13), p.7928
• Main Authors: Ho, Tan-Jan, Huang, Min-Yan, Chou, Meng-Yu, Huang, Bo-Han, Zhuang, Ru-En
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air conditioning; Air temperature; Alertness; Bedrooms; Circadian rhythm; Control systems; Control tasks; Internet of Things; Irritation; Lighting; Lighting systems; Melatonin; Mitigation; Motor task performance; Natural lighting; Pulse duration modulation; Remote control; Simulation; Sleep; Sleep and wakefulness; Smartphones; Startle response; Stepping motors; Sustainability; Systems design; Temperature control; Wakefulness
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su14137928

In this paper, our design aims to assist in sleep inertia reduction and avoid the startle response and irritation caused by alarm-made unpleasant wakeup stimuli. Thus, we propose an approach that employs a soft and alerting sunrise simulation, conditionally utilizes natural light, and appropriately lowers the bedroom temperature for awakening a sleeper tenderly and gradually to gain full alertness. This approach is inspired by known scientific implications confirming the effectiveness of lights and temperatures on wakefulness. In this regard, we present an economical do-it-yourself digital tech-assisted system for bedroom lighting and temperature control. The system design is based on the smartphone and Internet of Things (IoT) technology. We develop the hardware and software in the system for implementing three IoT-based control tasks. One is the tuning of artificial light brightness using the pulse width modulation technique. Another is the opening of the window curtain using stepper motor control and light detection. The other is the activation of the air-conditioning setting using an infrared remote control and temperature detection. We construct a testbed for conducting experiments. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system can execute task requirements satisfactorily. The proposed system is promising for achieving our goal. It embodies features of sustainability.