The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality and Quantity on Blue-Spectrum Light and Domains of Cognitive Functioning
Abstract
Blue light emitted from LED screens such as those found in smartphones, computer screens, and televisions, is increasingly ubiquitous in the modern world. This trend is notable given recent evidence suggesting blue light in particular may influence overnight sleep when individuals are exposed prior to bed. However, the effects of blue light on sleep among healthy young adults, and in turn the extent to which restricted sleep impacts cognitive abilities in this population, remains unclear. The present study used archival collected from 2018 to 2020, which included a final sample of 79 healthy young adults recruited from a private university in the northeastern United States. Participant enrollment in the study lasted two weeks, with in-person lab visits on the first and last day of the two-week period. Over the intervening span of time, participants wore a research-grade actigraphic watch that recorded both sleep and ambient light exposure. Participants also completing a battery of cognitive testing, which included measures of executive functioning (NIH-EXAMINER Battery), verbal memory (Modified Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test), and visual memory (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Task). The study evaluated the mediating or indirect role of sleep on the relationship between blue light exposure in the hour prior to bed and cognitive functioning in the domains of executive functioning, verbal memory, and visual memory. Although this primary hypothesis was not supported, two significant findings emerged. Increased blue light exposure prior to bed was associated with reduced sleep fragmentation, and greater sleep fragmentation was associated with worse performance on a visual memory task. While reasons for the former are unclear, the latter adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting the importance of sleep quality.
Subject Area
Clinical psychology|Psychology|Medicine|Cognitive psychology
Recommended Citation
Fusco-Gessick, Benjamin, "The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality and Quantity on Blue-Spectrum Light and Domains of Cognitive Functioning" (2024). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI31148101.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI31148101
