Daylight improves workers’ sleep, quality of life: study

Chicago – Working near a window could improve an employee’s sleep and overall quality of life, suggests a study from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Researchers studied 27 employees in windowless workplaces and 22 workers exposed to significantly more daylight throughout the day. To measure light exposure, activity and sleep, 21 participants wore a device on the wrist.

Workers stationed near windows experienced 173 percent more white light exposure and slept an average of 46 minutes longer each night. Researchers also noted that these workers participated in more physical activity.

Researchers concluded that office designs should emphasize daylight exposure to bolster workers’ health and well-being.

The study was published in June in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s official publication.