To SMILE or not to SMILE, is that the question? 

SMILE – Smart Illumination in Living Environment – is a project with the goal of improving the use of energy efficient smart lighting systems in a home environment.  Implemented by JTH in collaboration with local housing company Willhem AB, the study selected residents of 14 apartments to test lighting protocols for controlling smart home lighting. The field study ran for eight weeks in the winter from January to March 2022.  

Control protocols were implemented, ensuring for example that the lights came on gradually at the same time every morning and that they would automatically dim during the evening ahead of a prescribed time to go to bed.  

Through weekly questionnaires and interviews at the end of the study it was established that overall perceived sleepiness had decreased and that people were on average sleeping longer. Participants also appreciated the visual signals to wake up and to go to bed and said that they had been able to maintain a better sleep routine.  

The project continues until June 2023.