Study
Research and independent studies on the effects of light on humans
We present studies from scientific institutions around the world and results from renowned laboratories and workplaces dealing with the effects of light on the body.
✓ Productivity
Stanford University research confirms positive effects of full-spectrum LED lighting on alertness, cognitive ability and performance
| Title: |
Impact of daytime spectral tuning on cognitive function |
| Author: | Renske Lok, Daniel S. Joyce, Jamie M. Zeitzer Stanford University |
| Date: | 28. March 2022 |
✓ Productivity
CTU research at Prague secondary schools confirms improved academic performance thanks to pro-cognitive lighting
| Title: |
Measuring the effect of procognitive lighting on the performance of high school students, comparison with a control group of students |
| Author: | Ing. arch. Lenka Maierová, Ph.D. Bc. Igor Kytka CTU UCEEB |
| Date: | 15. June 2020 |
✓ Productivity
Research conducted by a Slovak university showed the positive effect of full-spectrum lighting on students’ attention, logical thinking, problem solving and work rate. They did better in the entrance exams thanks to full-spectrum lighting.
| Title: |
The Effect of Bio-Optimised Light In the School Environment on The Cognitive Functions of Pupils |
| Author: | Martin Nosko Faculty of Psychology, Pan-European University Bratislava |
| Date: | 25. May 2024 |
✓ Mood, Sleep
A US study on 400,000 participants confirms that good quality light during the day is crucial for health, mood and sleep due to the proper functioning of circadian rhythms.
| Title: |
Time spent in outdoor light is linked to mood, sleep and circadian rhythm-related outcomes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study in over 400,000 UK Biobank participants |
| Author: | Angus C. Burns, Richa Saxenab, Céline Vettere, Andrew J.K. Phillips, Jacqueline M. Laneb & Sean W. Cain School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA USA The Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA |
| Date: | 1. December 2021 |
✓ Mood
A large Australian study of 85,000 participants found a link between the quality and quantity of light and mental illness
| Title: |
Day and night light exposure are linked to psychiatric disorders: an objective light study in >85,000 people |
| Author: | Angus C. Burns, Daniel P. Windred, Martin K. Rutter, Patrick Olivier, Céline Vetter, Richa Saxena, Jacqueline M. Lane, Andrew J. K. Phillips & Sean W. Cain Australian Government Research Training Programme (ACB) National Health and Medical Research Council |
| Date: | 9. October 2023 |
✓ Mood
The National Institute of Mental Health of the Czech Republic confirms the positive effects of Spectrasol procognitive light on human health and proves that natural light (or artificial lighting mimicking the sun) prevents the occurrence of psychological problems
| Title: |
NIMH Statement on Spectrasol Procognitive Light |
| Author: | PhDr. Jana Kopřivová, Ph.D et. al. National Institute of Mental Health of the Czech Republic |
| Date: | 4. January 2023 |
✓ Eyes
An experiment by the BIOCEV research centre with several LED light sources demonstrated the positive effects of Spectrasol procognitive light on the eyes
| Title: |
Biocev: Measurement record |
| Author: | Ing. Zdeněk Kejík, Ph.D. |
| Date: | 19. October 2021 |
✓ Eyes
The CIE, the highest global authority on illumination, warns that blue spectral components of light (harmful blue light) constitute a risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), while red spectral components have compensatory and protective functions in light.
| Title: |
Is Light With Lack of Red Spectral Components a Risk Factor for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) |
| Author: | Christoph Schierz CIE Central Bureau |
| Date: | 22. June 2019 |
✓ Eyes
A French study highlights the phototoxicity of the blue and protective function of the red parts of the spectral composition in LED lighting and recommends modification of existing standards for indoor applications.
| Title: |
Phototoxicity of low doses of light and influence of the spectral composition on human RPE cells |
| Author: | Anaïs Françon, Kimberley Delaunay, Thara Jaworski, Cécile Lebon, Emilie Picard, Jenny Youale, Francine Behar-Cohen & Alicia Torriglia Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université |
| Date: | 21. March 2024 |
✓ Sleep
Increased exposure to good quality light during the day has been shown to improve sleep, as confirmed by a US study conducted during the pandemic
| Title: |
The sleep maths: A strong correlation between more daytime light and better night-time sleep |
| Author: | MG Figueiro PhD, C Jarboe MS and L Sahin PhD Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA |
| Date: | 11. February 2021 |
✓ Sleep
A study conducted by US researchers confirmed higher melatonin levels and better quality sleep after just a few weeks of regular exposure to natural light during the day.
| Title: |
The effects of prior light history on the suppression of melatonin by light in humans |
| Author: | Marc Hébert, Stacia K. Martin, Clara Lee, and Charmane I. Eastman Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Louis. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA |
| Date: | 15. November 2002 |
✓ Sleep
Healthy light exposure habits affect sleep quality, mood and cognitive functions, study by German and Malaysian research team shows
| Title: |
Light exposure behaviours predict mood, memory and sleep quality |
| Author: | Mushfiqul Anwar Siraji, Manuel Spitschan, Vineetha Kalavally and Shamsul Haque Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Intelligent Lighting Laboratory, Monash University Malaysia Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Translational Sensory & Circadian Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany Department of Sport and Health Sciences (TUM SG), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering and Intelligent Lighting Laboratory, Monash University Malaysia |
| Date: | 1. August 2023 |
✓ Mood, Overall health
World leaders in neurobiology, chronobiology and psychiatry recommend taking into account the biological effects of light when applying artificial lighting in buildings and have set parameters for the necessary non-visual characteristics to maintain the physical and mental health of society
| Title: |
Recommendations for daytime, evening and night time indoor light exposure to best support physiology, sleep and wakefulness in healthy adults |
| Author: | Timothy M. Brown, George C. Brainard, Christian Cajochen, Charles A. Czeisler, John P. Hanifin, Steven W. Lockley, Robert J. Lucas, Mirjam Munch, John B. O'Hagan, Stuart N. Peirson, Luke L. A. Price, Till Roenneberg, Luc J. M. Schlangen, Debra J. Skene, Manuel Spitschan, Céline Vetter, Phyllis C. Zee, Kenneth P. Wright |
| Date: | 17. March 2022 |
✓ Overall health
Research by the National Institute of Mental Health has demonstrated the positive effects of biodynamic lighting on melatonin production, daytime vitality, cognitive functions and sleep quality for clients and staff in senior living facilities
| Title: |
Evaluation of the efficiency of a pilot biodynamic lighting installation at the TGM Retirement Home in Beroun |
| Author: | Doc. RNDr. Zdeňka Bendová, Ph.D. PhDr. Jana Kopřivová, Ph.D. Ing. arch. Lenka Maierová, Ph.D. |
| Date: | 31. May 2020 |
✓ Overall health
A Dutch study confirms link between higher exposure to light in the evening and at night and increase in obesity due to disrupted metabolic processes
| Title: |
Nutrition in the spotlight: metabolic effects of environmental light |
| Author: | Ruth I. Versteeg, Dirk J. Stenvers, Andries Kalsbeek, Peter H. Bisschop, Mireille J. Serlie and Susanne E. la Fleur University of Amsterdam Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
| Date: | 8. August 2016 |
✓ Overall health
A study from several universities describes the functions of the inner photosensitive ganglion cells of the retina for the proper functioning of circadian rhythms and highlights the importance of the non-visual effects of light and the timing of light exposure for human health and performance.
| Title: |
Melanopsin Vision: Sensation and Perception Through Intrinsically |
| Author: | Daniel S. Joyce, Kevin W. Houser, Stuart N. Peirson, Jamie M. Zeitzer and Andrew J. Zele The University of British Columbia, University of Nevada, Oregon State University, University of Oxford, Stanford University, Queensland University of Technology |
| Date: | 19. January 2023 |
✓ Productivity
Malaysian researchers present evidence of positive effects of exposure to light containing short wavelengths and higher luminance on alertness and cognitive function in a meta-study
| Title: |
Effects of Daytime Electric Light Exposure on Human Alertness and Higher Cognitive Functions: A Systematic Review |
| Author: | Mushfiqul Anwar Siraji, Vineetha Kalavally, Alexandre Schaefer and Shamsul Haque Monash University Malaysia and Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia |
| Date: | 5. January 2022 |
✓ Productivity
Lighting with high melanopic efficacy promotes daytime alertness, cognitive performance and subjectively perceived well-being in sleep-deprived individuals, a Harvard Medical School inpatient study has confirmed.
| Title: |
Supplementation of ambient lighting with a task lamp improves daytime alertness and cognitive performance in sleep-restricted individuals |
| Author: | Leilah K. Grant, Phoebe C. Crosthwaite, Matthew D. Mayer, Wei Wang, Robert Stickgold, Melissa A. St. Hilaire, Steven W. Lockley and Shadab A. Rahman Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA |
| Date: | 7. April 2023 |
✓ Productivity
Exposure to high mEDI light during the day improves cognitive performance, including information processing speed, working memory and procedural learning, according to research from Harvard Medical School
| Title: |
Daytime Exposure to Short Wavelength-Enriched Light Improves Cognitive Performance in Sleep-Restricted College-Aged Adults |
| Author: | Leilah K. Grant, Brianne A. Kent, Matthew D. Mayer, Robert Stickgold, Steven W. Lockley, Shadab A. Rahman Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States |
| Date: | 22. February 2021 |
✓ Productivity
Exposure to light with a high correlated colour temperature (CCT) leads to improved cognitive flexibility and less daytime fatigue in preschool children, US research has shown.
| Title: |
Light correlated color temperature and task switching performance in preschool-age children |
| Author: | Lauren E. Hartstein, Monique K. LeBourgeois, Neil E. Berthier University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, Lighting Enabled Systems & Applications Engineering Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA |
| Date: | 30. August 2018 |
✓ Overall health
University of Pennsylvania researchers have found that there is a reciprocal regulation between circadian rhythms and metabolism. Improper light exposure that does not respect the natural cycle of day and night can lead to metabolic disorders.
| Title: |
Interconnections between circadian clocks and metabolism |
| Author: | Dongyin Guan, Mitchell A. Lazar Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. |
| Date: | 2. August 2021 |
✓ Eyes
A Spanish research has demonstrated negative effects of blue light on the retinal cells of the human eye. In contrast, red light had a regenerative effect on cells damaged by blue light.
| Title: |
Blue light negatively affects the survival of ARPE19 cells through an action on their mitochondria and blunted by red light |
| Author: | Claudia Nunez-Alvarez, Carlota Suárez-Barrio, Susana del Olmo Aguado and Neville N. Osborne Ophthalmological Research Foundation, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain |
| Date: | 9. September 2018 |
✓ Eyes
An international study has confirmed the effectiveness of the photobiomodulatory effect of light for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that predominantly causes vision loss in the elderly.
| Title: |
LIGHTSITE II Randomized Multicenter Trial: Evaluation of Multiwavelength Photobiomodulation in Non-exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration |
| Author: | B.Burton, M. B. Parodi, I. Jurgens, X. Zanlonghi, D. Hornan, J. Roider, K. Lorenz, M. R. Munk, C. L. Croissant, S. E. Tedford, M. Walker, R. Ruckert, C. E. Tedford James Paget University, Great Yarmouth, UK Department of Ophthalmology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy Institut Catala de Retina, Barcelona, Spain Institut Ophtalmologique de L'Ouest-Clinique Jules VERNE, Nantes, France Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough, UK Klinik Für Ophthalmologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany Universitätsmedizin Mainz-Augenklinik, Mainz, Germany Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland LumiThera, Inc, Poulsbo, WA, USA |
| Date: | 2. January 2023 |
✓ Mood
Swiss researchers demonstrate the benefits of daylight exposure in the afternoon on alertness, cognitive performance, subjective well-being and mood of office workers
| Title: |
Effects of realistic office daylighting and electric lighting conditions on visual comfort, alertness and mood |
| Author: | A. Borisuit, PhD, F. Linhart, PhD, J. L. Scartezzini, PhD and M. Munch, PhD Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Date: | 21. March 2014 |
✓ Overall health
In the article, Chinese experts present the current scientific knowledge on how circadian rhythms regulate the immune system at the molecular, cellular and physiological levels, thereby contributing to homeostasis and disease resistance.
| Title: |
Circadian rhythm regulation in the immune system |
| Author: | Jun Ding, Pengyu Chen, Chunjian Qi Nanjing Medical University, China |
| Date: | 19. December 2023 |
✓ Mood, Overall health
A new advisory document from the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) highlights the importance of the biological functions of lighting and recommends its integration into lighting design to support human health and well-being.
| Title: |
Lighting Design for Health, Wellbeing and Quality of Light, A Holistic Approach to Integrative Lighting |
| Author: | International Association of Lighting Designers Kevan Shaw, Ioannis Ladopoulos, Chiara Carucci, Alexia Gkika Lorraine Calcott |
| Date: | 28. February 2025 |
✓ Eyes
Research conducted by the University of London has confirmed the therapeutic effects of around 670 nm wavelength light, which significantly slowed the decline of ageing photoreceptors in the retina of the eye.
| Title: |
Improving mitochondrial function significantly reduces the rate of age-related photoreceptor loss |
| Author: | Chrishne Sivapathasuntharam, Sohba Sivaprasad, Christopher Hogg, Glen Jeffery Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, UK |
| Date: | 6. June 2016 |
✓ Eyes
Spanish scientists have confirmed the harmful effects of blue light on retinal cells and that red light comprises these effects
| Title: |
Blue light exacerbates and red light counteracts negative insults to retinal ganglion cells in situ and R28 cells |
| Author: | C. Núñez-Álvarez, N.N. Osborne Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Asturias, Spain |
| Date: | 27. February 2019 |
✓ Eyes
A Chinese study yields new findings on cell death ferroptosis, which is found to be the underlying mechanism in blue light-induced retinal and visual damage
| Title: |
Blue light pollution causes retinal damage and degeneration by inducing ferroptosis |
| Author: | Xuan Li, Sen Zhu, Fujian Qi Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University & Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, China |
| Date: | 5. December 2022 |
✓ Productivity
A meta-study by Beijing Jiaotong University proves the effectiveness of daytime exposure to artificial lighting on alertness and cognitive function
| Title: |
Diurnal Intervention Effects of Electric Lighting on Alertness, Cognition, and Mood in Healthy Individuals |
| Author: | YanJie Li, WeiNing Fang, HanZhao Qiu, WenLi Dong, JianXin Wang & HaiFeng Bao Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China |
| Date: | 1. December 2023 |
