A window coating designed to let in additional light could be key to boosting people's mood in winter, suggest German researchers.
The team has developed an innovative coating that lets in more light than the average window, particularly at the blue end of the spectrum.
"A lack of light leads to high levels of melatonin, which can result in problems sleeping and concentrating, as well as depression and other psychological impairments," said researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg in a statement.
“Nobody’s ever made glass like this before. It makes you feel as if the window is permanently open,” said researcher Walther Glaubitt.
So could this be the key to helping treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - also known as winter depression - which sees sufferers' moods drop in the autumn and winter months? Many respond to light treatments that boost the mood when days are shorter and darker.
“The coating we’ve developed helps people to feel they can perform better and makes it less likely they will fall ill,” said fellow researcher Probst.
If these do work, lets hope they get installed before the winter months approach.
Alternative light therapies to help beat SAD