OtherHumann = 172024
Higher Levels of Morning and Daytime Light Exposure Associated with Positive Sleep Indices in Professional Team Sport Athletes.
Plain-language summary
This study looked at how light exposure affects sleep in professional athletes. It tracked 17 male Australian Football players for 14 days, using wrist devices to measure sleep and light exposure, and asked them to complete sleep and well-being surveys. Higher morning light was linked to more total sleep time, and higher daytime light was tied to better sleep quality. The findings suggest that getting more morning and daytime light may improve sleep in athletes.
Key findings
- Higher morning light exposure was linked to greater total sleep time.
- Higher daytime light exposure was associated with better subjective sleep quality.
- Evening light exposure was tied to higher scores on a sleep screening questionnaire.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- Light exposure was measured as the men lived and trained normally rather than being set by the researchers, so this shows what went together and cannot show which caused which.
- Population
- The study focused on professional male Australian Football athletes, limiting generalizability to other populations.
- Funding
- Not reported
- Takeaway
- This study found that more morning and daytime light exposure was linked to better sleep in athletes. If you struggle with sleep, it may be worth spending more time in natural light during the day.