Could artificial light boost shift workers’ sleep and job performance?

Adelaide, Australia — Exposing night shift workers to artificial light on the job may improve their sleep and reduce human error, a recent study shows.

A team of researchers led by Hannah Scott of Flinders University analyzed 19 adult workers exposed to two different lighting scenarios.

In one situation, the workers were exposed to “circadian-informed lighting” intended to boost the alignment of their circadian rhythms, commonly referred to as the “body clock.” In the other, they were exposed to dim, blue-depleted lighting that simulated conditions aboard submarines. Both scenarios lasted for eight days.

The researchers found that when the workers were exposed to circadian-informed lighting, they made nearly half as many errors. They also experienced improved sleep and vigilance and decreased sleepiness.

In a press release, Alisha Guyett, study co-author and doctoral student at Flinders, points to “strategic lighting interventions” as a means to “enhance the performance, sleep, safety and well-being of night shift workers exposed to inadequate light during their work shift.”

The study was published in the journal Sleep.