The Relationship Among Nocturnal Blue Light Exposure, Sleep Quality, and Response Inhibition in Young Adults
Abstract
Poor sleep quality and fractured circadian rhythms are associated with cognitive and psychological sequelae. Blue light exposure is known to impact sleep and circadian rhythms in experimental studies. However, little is known as to the relationship among these variables in naturally occurring environments. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship among nocturnal blue light exposure, sleep, and response inhibition in healthy young adults absent experimental manipulation. A total of 160 individuals participated in this study (68% women, mean age 20.3 years). Participants wore an actigraphic monitoring device for a period of 7-14 days, measuring light exposure, sleep, and physical activity, used to obtain measures of circadian stability as well as blue light exposure. Following this monitoring period, participants completed neuropsychological assessment. Linear regression models indicated significant relationships between sleep quality and two measures of response inhibition (p<0.01), with poorer sleep quality relating to poorer response inhibition. There was no significant relationship between nocturnal blue light exposure and sleep quality or response inhibition. Yet, the relationship between nocturnal blue light exposure and circadian stability was trending towards significance ( p=0.07) with increase nocturnal blue light exposure relating to decreased circadian stability. A significant relationship between total daily blue light exposure and circadian stability emerged (p=0.004), with greater daily blue light exposure relating to more stable circadian rhythms.
Subject Area
Clinical psychology
Recommended Citation
Moran, Eileen E, "The Relationship Among Nocturnal Blue Light Exposure, Sleep Quality, and Response Inhibition in Young Adults" (2017). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI10620285.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI10620285
