Effects of Pre-Sleep Artificial Light on Cognition and Sleep

A special issue of Clocks & Sleep (ISSN 2624-5175). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Basic Research & Neuroimaging".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2020) | Viewed by 37602

Special Issue Editor

Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Wilhelm-Klein-Str. 27, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Interests: Human sleep; circadian rhythms; ambient light and sleep; cognitive processing in sleep

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Artificial light is a phylogenetically new development in the human history. Allowing us to see and be productive during the night hours, it has caused the boundaries between day and night to blur. Not very surprisingly, it thereby also affects sleep and is likely to also alter sleep-associated processes such as memory consolidation. The aim of this Special Issue is to cover the effects of pre-sleep artificial light exposure on sleep, circadian rhythms, cognitive performance, and sleep-associated processes in humans and animals—and how light exposure may be modulated to benefit sleep, for example, in shift workers.

Dr. Christine Blume
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Circadian rhythms
  • Sleep
  • Light
  • Memory
  • Shift work

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3532 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Results: The Impact of Smartphone Use and Short-Wavelength Light during the Evening on Circadian Rhythm, Sleep and Alertness
by Christopher Höhn, Sarah R. Schmid, Christina P. Plamberger, Kathrin Bothe, Monika Angerer, Georg Gruber, Belinda Pletzer and Kerstin Hoedlmoser
Clocks & Sleep 2021, 3(1), 66-86; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/clockssleep3010005 - 22 Jan 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 11485
Abstract
Smartphone usage strongly increased in the last decade, especially before bedtime. There is growing evidence that short-wavelength light affects hormonal secretion, thermoregulation, sleep and alertness. Whether blue light filters can attenuate these negative effects is still not clear. Therefore, here, we present preliminary [...] Read more.
Smartphone usage strongly increased in the last decade, especially before bedtime. There is growing evidence that short-wavelength light affects hormonal secretion, thermoregulation, sleep and alertness. Whether blue light filters can attenuate these negative effects is still not clear. Therefore, here, we present preliminary data of 14 male participants (21.93 ± 2.17 years), who spent three nights in the sleep laboratory, reading 90 min either on a smartphone (1) with or (2) without a blue light filter, or (3) on printed material before bedtime. Subjective sleepiness was decreased during reading on a smartphone, but no effects were present on evening objective alertness in a GO/NOGO task. Cortisol was elevated in the morning after reading on the smartphone without a filter, which resulted in a reduced cortisol awakening response. Evening melatonin and nightly vasodilation (i.e., distal-proximal skin temperature gradient) were increased after reading on printed material. Early slow wave sleep/activity and objective alertness in the morning were only reduced after reading without a filter. These results indicate that short-wavelength light affects not only circadian rhythm and evening sleepiness but causes further effects on sleep physiology and alertness in the morning. Using a blue light filter in the evening partially reduces these negative effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Pre-Sleep Artificial Light on Cognition and Sleep)
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20 pages, 904 KiB  
Article
Light in the Senior Home: Effects of Dynamic and Individual Light Exposure on Sleep, Cognition, and Well-Being
by Myriam Juda, Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Fabio Feldman, Cristian Suvagau and Ralph E. Mistlberger
Clocks & Sleep 2020, 2(4), 557-576; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/clockssleep2040040 - 14 Dec 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4680
Abstract
Disrupted sleep is common among nursing home patients and is associated with cognitive decline and reduced well-being. Sleep disruptions may in part be a result of insufficient daytime light exposure. This pilot study examined the effects of dynamic “circadian” lighting and individual light [...] Read more.
Disrupted sleep is common among nursing home patients and is associated with cognitive decline and reduced well-being. Sleep disruptions may in part be a result of insufficient daytime light exposure. This pilot study examined the effects of dynamic “circadian” lighting and individual light exposure on sleep, cognitive performance, and well-being in a sample of 14 senior home residents. The study was conducted as a within-subject study design over five weeks of circadian lighting and five weeks of conventional lighting, in a counterbalanced order. Participants wore wrist accelerometers to track rest–activity and light profiles and completed cognitive batteries (National Institute of Health (NIH) toolbox) and questionnaires (depression, fatigue, sleep quality, lighting appraisal) in each condition. We found no significant differences in outcome variables between the two lighting conditions. Individual differences in overall (indoors and outdoors) light exposure levels varied greatly between participants but did not differ between lighting conditions, except at night (22:00–6:00), with maximum light exposure being greater in the conventional lighting condition. Pooled data from both conditions showed that participants with higher overall morning light exposure (6:00–12:00) had less fragmented and more stable rest–activity rhythms with higher relative amplitude. Rest–activity rhythm fragmentation and long sleep duration both uniquely predicted lower cognitive performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Pre-Sleep Artificial Light on Cognition and Sleep)
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Review

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15 pages, 801 KiB  
Review
Nighttime Light Hurts Mammalian Physiology: What Diurnal Rodent Models Are Telling Us
by Jorge Mendoza
Clocks & Sleep 2021, 3(2), 236-250; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/clockssleep3020014 - 01 Apr 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5301
Abstract
Natural sunlight permits organisms to synchronize their physiology to the external world. However, in current times, natural sunlight has been replaced by artificial light in both day and nighttime. While in the daytime, indoor artificial light is of lower intensity than natural sunlight, [...] Read more.
Natural sunlight permits organisms to synchronize their physiology to the external world. However, in current times, natural sunlight has been replaced by artificial light in both day and nighttime. While in the daytime, indoor artificial light is of lower intensity than natural sunlight, leading to a weak entrainment signal for our internal biological clock, at night the exposure to artificial light perturbs the body clock and sleep. Although electric light at night allows us “to live in darkness”, our current lifestyle facilitates nighttime exposure to light by the use, or abuse, of electronic devices (e.g., smartphones). The chronic exposure to light at nighttime has been correlated to mood alterations, metabolic dysfunctions, and poor cognition. To decipher the brain mechanisms underlying these alterations, fundamental research has been conducted using animal models, principally of nocturnal nature (e.g., mice). Nevertheless, because of the diurnal nature of human physiology, it is also important to find and propose diurnal animal models for the study of the light effects in circadian biology. The present review provides an overview of the effects of light at nighttime on physiology and behavior in diurnal mammals, including humans. Knowing how the brain reacts to artificial light exposure, using diurnal rodent models, is fundamental for the development of new strategies in human health based in circadian biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Pre-Sleep Artificial Light on Cognition and Sleep)
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47 pages, 2878 KiB  
Review
Non-Pharmacological Interventions to Improve Chronic Disease Risk Factors and Sleep in Shift Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Meagan E Crowther, Sally A Ferguson, Grace E Vincent and Amy C Reynolds
Clocks & Sleep 2021, 3(1), 132-178; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/clockssleep3010009 - 28 Jan 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5692
Abstract
Shift work is associated with adverse chronic health outcomes. Addressing chronic disease risk factors including biomedical risk factors, behavioural risk factors, as well as sleep and perceived health status, affords an opportunity to improve health outcomes in shift workers. The present study aimed [...] Read more.
Shift work is associated with adverse chronic health outcomes. Addressing chronic disease risk factors including biomedical risk factors, behavioural risk factors, as well as sleep and perceived health status, affords an opportunity to improve health outcomes in shift workers. The present study aimed to conduct a systematic review, qualitative synthesis, and meta-analysis of non-pharmacological interventions targeting chronic disease risk factors, including sleep, in shift workers. A total of 8465 records were retrieved; 65 publications were eligible for inclusion in qualitative analysis. Random-effects meta-analysis were conducted for eight eligible health outcomes, including a total of thirty-nine studies. Interventions resulted in increased objective sleep duration (Hedges’ g = 0.73; CI: 0.36, 1.10, k = 16), improved objective sleep efficiency (Hedges’ g = 0.48; CI: 0.20, 0.76, k = 10) and a small increase in both subjective sleep duration (Hedges’ g = 0.11; CI: −0.04, 0.27, k = 19) and sleep quality (Hedges’ g = 0.11; CI: −0.11, 0.33, k = 21). Interventions also improved perceived health status (Hedges’ g = 0.20; CI: −0.05, 0.46, k = 8), decreased systolic (Hedges’ g = 0.26; CI: −0.54, 0.02, k = 7) and diastolic (Hedges’ g = 0.06; CI: −0.23, 0.36, k = 7) blood pressure, and reduced body mass index (Hedges’ g = −0.04; CI: −0.37, 0.29, k = 9). The current study suggests interventions may improve chronic disease risk factors and sleep in shift workers; however, this could only be objectively assessed for a limited number of risk factor endpoints. Future interventions could explore the impact of non-pharmacological interventions on a broader range of chronic disease risk factors to better characterise targets for improved health outcomes in shift workers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Pre-Sleep Artificial Light on Cognition and Sleep)
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17 pages, 2176 KiB  
Review
Light, Sleep and Performance in Diurnal Birds
by Anne E. Aulsebrook, Robin D. Johnsson and John A. Lesku
Clocks & Sleep 2021, 3(1), 115-131; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/clockssleep3010008 - 28 Jan 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 9576
Abstract
Sleep has a multitude of benefits and is generally considered necessary for optimal performance. Disruption of sleep by extended photoperiods, moonlight and artificial light could therefore impair performance in humans and non-human animals alike. Here, we review the evidence for effects of light [...] Read more.
Sleep has a multitude of benefits and is generally considered necessary for optimal performance. Disruption of sleep by extended photoperiods, moonlight and artificial light could therefore impair performance in humans and non-human animals alike. Here, we review the evidence for effects of light on sleep and subsequent performance in birds. There is accumulating evidence that exposure to natural and artificial sources of light regulates and suppresses sleep in diurnal birds. Sleep also benefits avian cognitive performance, including during early development. Nevertheless, multiple studies suggest that light can prolong wakefulness in birds without impairing performance. Although there is still limited research on this topic, these results raise intriguing questions about the adaptive value of sleep. Further research into the links between light, sleep and performance, including the underlying mechanisms and consequences for fitness, could shed new light on sleep evolution and urban ecology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Pre-Sleep Artificial Light on Cognition and Sleep)
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