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Evening Light Exposure: Implications for Sleep and Depression

Evening Light Exposure: Implications for Sleep and Depression OBJECTIVES: To examine whether dim illumination in the evening is a factor in sleep disturbances of aging, depression, and circadian phase advance. DESIGN: One‐week continuous recordings were made to record illumination exposure and to infer 24‐hour sleep patterns from wrist activity. SETTING: Recordings took place during normal home and community activities. PARTICIPANTS: Complete data of 154 postmenopausal women, mean age 66.7, were selected from a larger study of participants in the Women's Health Initiative. MEASUREMENTS: Illumination in lux was averaged for 4 hours before bedtime and over 24 hours. Mood was measured using a brief eight‐item screen. RESULTS: Illumination in the 4 hours before bedtime was quite dim: median 24 lux. Nevertheless, evening light exposure was not significantly related to sleep amount (in bed or out of bed) sleep efficiency, sleep latency, wake within sleep, or mood. In contrast, the overall amount of light throughout the 24 hours was negatively correlated with sleep latency, wake within sleep, and depressed mood. CONCLUSIONS: Low evening lighting does not appear to be a crucial factor in sleep and mood disturbances of aging, but overall lighting may contribute to these disturbances. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of American Geriatrics Society Wiley

Evening Light Exposure: Implications for Sleep and Depression

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References (23)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0002-8614
eISSN
1532-5415
DOI
10.1046/j.1532-5415.2002.50171.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether dim illumination in the evening is a factor in sleep disturbances of aging, depression, and circadian phase advance. DESIGN: One‐week continuous recordings were made to record illumination exposure and to infer 24‐hour sleep patterns from wrist activity. SETTING: Recordings took place during normal home and community activities. PARTICIPANTS: Complete data of 154 postmenopausal women, mean age 66.7, were selected from a larger study of participants in the Women's Health Initiative. MEASUREMENTS: Illumination in lux was averaged for 4 hours before bedtime and over 24 hours. Mood was measured using a brief eight‐item screen. RESULTS: Illumination in the 4 hours before bedtime was quite dim: median 24 lux. Nevertheless, evening light exposure was not significantly related to sleep amount (in bed or out of bed) sleep efficiency, sleep latency, wake within sleep, or mood. In contrast, the overall amount of light throughout the 24 hours was negatively correlated with sleep latency, wake within sleep, and depressed mood. CONCLUSIONS: Low evening lighting does not appear to be a crucial factor in sleep and mood disturbances of aging, but overall lighting may contribute to these disturbances.

Journal

Journal of American Geriatrics Society – Wiley

Published: Apr 1, 2002

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