Sudies on sleep and alertness in the work place

Studies in the Work Place

Studies on Night Work and Chronobiological Disorders

Night workers have to fight their bodies' tendency to sleep and repair itself while they are working, and then try to sleep during the day when brain is alert and the cardiovascular system is up-regulated. Aligning the internal body clock to the work schedule improves worker performance and improves the quality of sleep the following day.

The Canadian Defence Department's R&D Centre recently conducted an independent study to select the optimal phototherapeutic device to improve performance in a night work adaptation program. The study, comparing the low intensity Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT tower model with higher intensity devices, concluded, "The [Sunnex Biotechnologies] light tower was the best device, producing melatonin suppression and circadian phase change while relatively free of side effects."

The study found that Sunnex Biotechnologies GreenLIGHT lamps are as effective, or more effective, in shifting circadian rhythms than therapeutic light devices that provide 20 times the light intensity (energy). The GreenLIGHT lamps shifted body clocks (circadian rhythms) twice as much as The Litebook®, a therapy lamp that primarily emits blue visible light, even though the GreenLIGHT tower provided only 1/20th of the light [energy] than The Litebook® did. The authors noted that "the [GreenLIGHT] light tower achieved a numerically superior circadian phase delay in spite of the fact that it emits less than 5% of the light intensity emitted by the [Feel Bright Light©] light visor." Reference 1

Sunnex Biotechnologies low intensity GreenLIGHT lamps were used in the development of light management protocols for the U.S. Coast Guard's Crew Endurance Management System (CEMS). Tests were conducted at the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center to determine the usefulness of GreenLIGHT lamps in a program designed to reduce night shift fatigue. This was followed by years of trials on operational Coast Guard cutters and commercial vessels.

Sunnex Biotechnologies' patented low intensity green light technology was found to effectively align the body clock (circadian phase) of crew members working the night shift with their work schedules on operational vessels. The light management protocol developed with GreenLIGHT lamps is now incorporated into the Coast Guard's Crew Endurance Management System (CEMS) for commercial vessels. GreenLIGHT lamps are even installed in the wheelhouses of operating vessels to help maintain the alertness of the driver during the midnight shift. -See Press CEMS.

An example of the ability of the Sunnex Biotechnologies' light to influence human physiology in operational vessels was presented at the International Conference on Fatigue Management in Transportation in September 2005 in Seattle WA. This result is also published in Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine in June 2005(Supp 1).

Low intensity GreenLIGHT has been found to improve performance for night workers in a pilot study at a commercial lumber facility. Using GreenLIGHT lamps on Monday through Thursday of a 5 day work week, lumber graders' error rates on the third, fourth and fifth day (Wednesday through Friday) were reduced to daytime levels. Using special eyewear to prevent the morning sunlight from influencing their circadian rhythms, the improved performance of these workers was maintained on Friday night, even though there was no GreenLIGHT exposure on the Friday night. This supports the thesis that it is through its influence shifting circadian rhythms, that GreenLIGHT System improves performance of night shift workers. This is also supported by the higher error rates on Monday nights, because on Monday night the workers circadian rhythms were still aligned to the normal day/night cycle. The Monday and Friday results are also strong indicators that this is not a placebo effect. These results were presented to the Annual Meeting of the Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms in the Netherlands in June 2005.

NOTE: Even though the special eyewear used in the GreenLIGHT System does not impede the wearer's vision, it has been pointed out that blocking the arousing effect that morning sunlight might provide may increase the risk of an accident by workers driving home after working all night. Since this risk is generally very high for night shift workers, we strongly recommend that night shift workers using the GreenLIGHT System are provided with transportation in the mornings, and should not drive themselves home.

Click for information about the risk to vision from bright light therapy boxes

Therapists and eye specialists: Click for more technical information on retinal stress from Bright and Blue Light Therapy, and the advanced onset of ARMD

Information on our patented low-intensity light therapy technology - why 400 lux of Sunnex's green light is as effective as 6,000 - 10,000 lux of white light.

Purchase or Rent-to-Purchase Plans

In North America, a no-risk rental program is available. If the unit is purchased within 2 months from the time of rental, all rental payments are applied towards the purchase price. Order Now!

The Lo-LIGHT phototherapy lamp comes with a five year warranty. Details

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