Data from: Natural light exposure, sleep and depression among day workers and shiftworkers at Arctic and Equatorial latitudes

• Main Authors: Marqueze, Elaine Cristina, Vasconcelos, Suleima, Garefelt, Johanna, Skene, Debra J., Moreno, Claudia Roberta, Lowden, Arne
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Sleep problems; Mental health; Light; Shiftwork; Latitude; Arctic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10255/dryad.81192; https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.73f69

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between individual natural light exposure, sleep need, and depression at two latitudes, one extreme with a few hours of light per day during winter, and the other with equal hours of light and darkness throughout the year. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a sample of Brazilian workers (Equatorial, n = 488 workers) and a Swedish sample (Arctic, n = 1,273). Results: The reported mean total natural light exposure per 4-week cycle differed significantly between the Equatorial and Arctic regions. However, shiftworkers from both sites reported similar hours of natural light exposure. Short light exposure was a predictor for insufficient sleep. Conclusion: Reduced exposure to natural light appears to increase the perception of obtaining insufficient sleep. Arctic workers were more prone to develop depression than Equatorial workers.