Blue Light Could Help Fatigued Shift Workers

For several years, scientists have been finding that the body’s biological clock is very responsive to exposure to the shorter blue light spectrum. Exposure to blue light helps to initiate when melatonin is released and it is being incorporated into bright light therapy for treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Now, new research has found that exposure to blue light may help shift workers to stay awake and alert when on the job over night. A recent study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School showed that blue light contributed to quicker reaction times, fewer lapses in attention and less sleepiness. The participants' brain activity also showed increased alertness upon exposure to blue light. The findings may prove useful for shift workers such as doctors, nurses, pilots and others whose schedules require them to work in the evenings and sleep during the day.