The Impact of Mood Lighting & Sound in Clinical Environments

Clinical environments are often associated with being cold, impersonable and anxiety-inducing. Whilst such environments are set up in a way that is designed to maintain sterility and facilitate care, it's still important for patients to feel safe and relaxed when in these settings. So, how can this gap between functionality and comfort be bridged?

This is where mood lighting comes in. Using carefully considered mood lighting to create a more homely and calming ambience has been proven to enhance the experience of patients in clinical settings, particularly those relating to maternity and birth.

In this article, we'll explore the role of mood lighting in clinical environments (with a focus on maternity). We’ll also touch upon the influence of sound alongside this, and consider how equipment can enhance the audio/visual experience in clinical areas.

How Can Mood Lighting Improve Birth Environments?

Natural Increase of Oxytocin

Oxytocin plays a vital role in labour, being the hormone responsible for causing contractions, so that the cervix can dilate and the baby is moved down the birth canal. Its importance doesn't stop there, as it also helps to enhance maternal-infant bonding immediately after birth. But how is this relevant to the birth environment?

Well, the more anxious, stressed and unsafe a birthing person feels, the more adrenaline they are likely to produce - in turn inhibiting the production of oxytocin, thus slowing the labour process. This is why it's so important for birthing people to feel as calm and relaxed as possible for a smoother labour experience. Their surroundings can have a big impact on this.

Soft, warm lighting has been proven to reduce levels of stress and anxiety. Psychological evidence shows that certain colours can also influence our emotions - for example, blue hues are often associated with calmness and trust, whilst orange hues may be associated with feelings of warmth and happiness. Combining the two, then, by having low-lit, coloured lighting, can strongly influence a person's emotions and perceptions within any given environment. This can not only be beneficial in birth environments, but could equally be applied to alternative clinical settings.

Improved Levels of Trust

It's not only those in active labour who benefit from a calming environment; midwives also experience significant advantages. As Dr. Kathryn Gutteridge highlights in her article, Lighting the Way for Birth: Environment and Birth, low noise levels and dim lighting help midwives feel more confident, relaxed and content in their work. This supportive atmosphere makes them more approachable and attentive, ultimately enhancing the quality of care they provide.

A positive environment can also strengthen the relationship between midwives and birthing individuals. When midwives are in the best position to offer compassionate and proactive care, it helps build trust - a key factor in fostering a sense of safety, support and reassurance during birth. Furthermore, feeling safe thanks to a more private and intimate environment allows a labouring individual to relax and place more confidence in the care being provided. They are also more likely to be open and emotionally receptive the more relaxed they are, making it easier to trust and connect with their midwife.

Enhancing Spaces with the Ten Minute Audio Mood Tube

The Croyde Ten Minute Audio Mood Tube is a light and sound device designed for use in clinical settings, developed with a clear focus on the importance of ambience in creating a supportive and calming environment.

The light showcases a range of carefully chosen colour hues that help to create a peaceful atmosphere, with subtle transitions between each, whilst built-in Bluetooth speakers allow people within these settings to listen to a calming audio of their choice - both features that contribute to creating a relaxing environment.

Key Features of the Audio Mood Tube

Ten Minute Colour Cycle

The Croyde Audio Mood Tube features a bespoke colour palette of 11 different hues, each of which have been intentionally chosen to contribute to a calming atmosphere. When plugged in, the tube gently transitions through each of these colours across a 10-minute period, repeating this cycle until it's turned off.

We have purposefully designed the tube in this way to offer support when tracking how many contractions someone might experience during a 10-minute cycle. This mirrors how midwives typically assess labour progress, particularly when determining if an individual is in established labour - i.e. having three to four contractions every 10 minutes (as well as being 4cm dilated).

Having this visual guide isn't just an effective supporting feature for midwives to utilise, but can also offer more insight into labour progression for birthing individuals themselves.

Integrated Bluetooth Speakers

There are built-in speakers in the Audio Mood Tube that can be easily connected to from any mobile device via Bluetooth. Setup is easy and can be done in three simple steps:

Plug in the Mood Tube.
Turn on Bluetooth on your mobile device.
Select 'Pair New Device' and connect to the tube.

Once connected to the tube, you can play any audio of your choice to further add to the relaxing atmosphere the Mood Tube creates, helping you achieve the perfect ambience in any setting.

Empowers Individuals During Labour

Those experiencing labour can benefit from the Ten Minute Audio Mood Tube in multiple ways:

Recognise Contraction Timings: The colour cycle can help individuals to track the number of their contractions within a 10-minute period, increasing awareness of their labour progression while reducing reliance on external validation from their midwife, subsequently increasing feelings of independence and empowerment.
Control the Environment: Having the ability to choose an audio tailored to their own relaxation (whether that be music, guided hypnotherapy or nature sounds) offers them an element of control over their birth environment. This is crucial for their comfort and wellbeing, ensuring they feel more at ease and respected in their preferences, which helps keep adrenaline levels low.

This sense of independence can strengthen trust, as the midwife is seen as a supportive partner rather than the sole source of control. Additionally, being able to personalise the environment through calming audio choices helps the individual to feel more relaxed - conditions that support oxytocin production, which, as we know, facilitates labour and strengthens the emotional bond between the birthing person and their caregiver.

Eliminates External Sounds

The integrated speakers are especially beneficial when it comes to reducing background noise from the surrounding clinical environment. Background noise can interfere with relaxation and heighten nerves, both of which may negatively impact the progression of labour. By drowning out such noise and replacing it with more soothing sounds, the Audio Mood Tube helps to pacify negative feelings and instead create more comforting conditions.

This isn't a benefit specific to maternity settings, but is equally beneficial in various environments, including:

Private rooms
Multiple-bed wards
Bereavement suites

Creates a Calming Atmosphere

Infographic titled 'Standard Sensory Lights vs Croyde Mood Tubes'

Traditional sensory lighting is often bold and stimulating, making it unsuitable for settings such as maternity, neonatal and bereavement spaces - where a calming atmosphere is essential. Unlike standard off-the-shelf solutions, the Croyde Audio Mood Tube has been specifically designed to create a soothing and reassuring environment.

Instead of the harsh, bright and clinical colour palette commonly used in typical sensory lighting, we’ve developed a custom palette of warm, calming hues. We’ve also reduced the light intensity by 40% and ensured that transitions are slow and smooth, resulting in a gentler lighting experience that promotes relaxation and well-being. These changes align with all the core features described as being beneficial when discussing the importance of ambient lighting in clinical spaces.

The outcome? A comforting sensory focal point that enhances the space - providing gentle distraction and reassurance without overwhelming the senses.

Key Takeaways

While clinical environments must prioritise functionality and sterility, it's clear that creating a calm and supportive atmosphere is equally vital for patient well-being. Not just mood lighting, but the ambience of a room in general plays a significant role in bridging this gap, positively influencing emotions, reducing anxiety and fostering trust between patients and caregivers.

The Ten Minute Audio Mood Tube offers a thoughtful and effective solution to this need. It takes the principles of standard mood lighting and elevates it, acting as a multifunctional device to address various needs within a birth environment that benefit both patients and staff, and can even be utilised in various clinical settings beyond maternity.

Ultimately, devices like the Audio Mood Tube demonstrate how innovative design can transform potentially stressful clinical spaces into environments that promote relaxation, confidence and better care for everyone. If you'd like to learn more, then don't hesitate to get in touch with our team today - we're always happy to offer our support!