Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Impact of Windows and Daylight Exposure on Overall Health and Sleep Quality of Office Workers: A Case-Control Pilot Study

  • Scientific Investigations
  • Published:
Save article
View saved research
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Study Objective:

This research examined the impact of daylight exposure on the health of office workers from the perspective of subjective well-being and sleep quality as well as actigraphy measures of light exposure, activity, and sleep-wake patterns.

Methods:

Participants (N = 49) included 27 workers working in windowless environments and 22 comparable workers in workplaces with significantly more daylight. Windowless environment is defined as one without any windows or one where workstations were far away from windows and without any exposure to daylight. Well-being of the office workers was measured by Short Form-36 (SF-36), while sleep quality was measured by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). In addition, a subset of participants (N = 21; 10 workers in windowless environments and 11 workers in workplaces with windows) had actigraphy recordings to measure light exposure, activity, and sleep-wake patterns.

Results:

Workers in windowless environments reported poorer scores than their counterparts on two SF-36 dimensions—role limitation due to physical problems and vitality—as well as poorer overall sleep quality from the global PSQI score and the sleep disturbances component of the PSQI. Compared to the group without windows, workers with windows at the workplace had more light exposure during the workweek, a trend toward more physical activity, and longer sleep duration as measured by actigraphy.

Conclusions:

We suggest that architectural design of office environments should place more emphasis on sufficient daylight exposure of the workers in order to promote office workers’ health and well-being.

Citation:

Boubekri M, Cheung IN, Reid KJ, Wang CH, Zee PC. Impact of windows and daylight exposure on overall health and sleep quality of office workers: a case-control pilot study. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10(6):603–611.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from $39.99 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

REFERENCES

  1. WHO. Declaration on occupational health for all. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization Office of Occupational Health, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Haynes BP. The impact of office comfort on productivity. J Fac Management 2008;6:37–51.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Group HM. Windows and offices: A study of office worker performance and the indoor environment. California Energy Commission: P500-03-082-A-9, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Thayer BM. Daylighting and Productivity at Lockheed. Solar Today 1995;9:26–29.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Roenneberg T, Kantermann T, Juda M, Vetter C, Allebrandt KV. Light and the human circadian clock. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2013:311–31.

  6. Vetter C, Juda M, Lang D, Wojtysiak A, Roenneberg T. Blue-enriched office light competes with natural light as a zeitgeber. Scand J Work Environ Health 2011;37:437–45.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Åkerstedt T, Czeisler C, Dinges D, Horne J. Accidents and sleepiness: A consensus statement. At: International Conference on Work Hours, Sleep and Accidents. Stockholm, Sweden: J Sleep Res 1994;3.

  8. Leger D. The cost of sleep-related accidents: a report for the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research. Sleep 1994;17:84–93.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Mitler MM, Carskadon MA, Czeisler CA, Dement WC, Dinges DF, Graeber RC. Catastrophes, sleep, and public policy: consensus report. Sleep 1988;11:100–9.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bower B, Bylsma LM, Morris BH, Rottenberg J. Poor reported sleep quality predicts low positive affect in daily life among healthy and mood-disordered persons. J Sleep Res 2010;19:323–32.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Leppamaki S, Partonen T, Vakkuri O, Lonnqvist J, Partinen M, Laudon M. Effect of controlled-release melatonin on sleep quality, mood, and quality of life in subjects with seasonal or weather-associated changes in mood and behaviour. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2003;13:137–45.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Nebes RD, Buysse DJ, Halligan EM, Houck PR, Monk TH. Self-reported sleep quality predicts poor cognitive performance in healthy older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2009;64:180–7.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Knutson KL, Ryden AM, Mander BA, Van Cauter E. Role of sleep duration and quality in the risk and severity of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Intern Med 2006;166:1768–74.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gonzalez MM, Aston-Jones G. Light deprivation damages monoamine neurons and produces a depressive behavioral phenotype in rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008;105:4898–903.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Graw P, Recker S, Sand L, Krauchi K, Wirz-Justice A. Winter and summer outdoor light exposure in women with and without seasonal affective disorder. J Affect Disord 1999;56:163–9.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kripke D, Mullaney D, Savides TJ, Gillin JC. Phototherapy for nonseasonal major depressive disorders. In: Rosenthal N, Blehar N, eds. Phototherapy for nonseasonal major depressive disorders. New York: The Guilford Press, 1989:342–56.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Saarijarvi S, Lauerma H, Helenius H, Saarilehto S. Seasonal affective disorders among rural Finns and Lapps. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1999;99:95–101.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Beauchemin KM, Hays P. Sunny hospital rooms expedite recovery from severe and refractory depressions. J Affect Disord 1996;40:49–51.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Benedetti F, Colombo C, Barbini B, Campori E, Smeraldi E. Morning sunlight reduces length of hospitalization in bipolar depression. J Affect Disord 2001;62:221–3.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Lewy AJ, Bauer VK, Cutler NL, et al. Morning vs evening light treatment of patients with winter depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1998;55:890–6.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lovell BB, Ancoli-Israel S, Gevirtz R. Effect of bright light treatment on agitated behavior in institutionalized elderly subjects. Psychiatry Res 1995;57:7–12.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Rosenthal NE, Sack DA, Gillin JC, et al. Seasonal affective disorder. A description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1984;41:72–80.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rosenthal NE, Sack DA, Carpenter CJ, Parry BL, Mendelson WB, Wehr TA. Antidepressant effects of light in seasonal affective disorder. Am J Psychiatry 1985;142:163–70.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Terman JS, Terman M, Lo ES, Cooper TB. Circadian time of morning light administration and therapeutic response in winter depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001;58:69–75.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Van Someren EJ, Kessler A, Mirmiran M, Swaab DF. Indirect bright light improves circadian rest-activity rhythm disturbances in demented patients. Biol Psychiatry 1997;41:955–63.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wallace-Guy GM, Kripke DF, Jean-Louis G, Langer RD, Elliott JA, Tuunainen A. Evening light exposure: implications for sleep and depression. J Am Geriatr Soc 2002;50:738–9.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Ware JE, Sherbourne CD. The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). I. Conceptual framework and item selection. Med Care 1992;30:473–83.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Buysse DJ, Reynolds CF, Monk TH, Berman SR, Kupfer DJ. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res 1989;28:193–213.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Leproult R, Copinschi G, Buxton O, Van Cauter E. Sleep loss results in an elevation of cortisol levels the next evening. Sleep 1997;20:865–70.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Spiegel K, Leproult R, Van Cauter E. Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function. Lancet 1999;354:1435–9.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Spiegel K, Leproult R, L’Hermite-Baleriaux M, Copinschi G, Penev PD, Van Cauter E. Leptin levels are dependent on sleep duration: relationships with sympathovagal balance, carbohydrate regulation, cortisol, and thyrotropin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004;89:5762–71.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Taheri S, Lin L, Austin D, Young T, Mignot E. Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS Med 2004;1:e62.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Mills PR, Tomkins SC, Schlangen LJ. The effect of high correlated colour temperature office lighting on employee wellbeing and work performance. J Circadian Rhythms 2007;5:2.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Alimoglu MK, Donmez L. Daylight exposure and the other predictors of burnout among nurses in a University Hospital. Int J Nurs Stud 2005;42:549–55.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Drs. Boubekri and Cheung contributed equally to this work. The authors thank the subjects for their participation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    Mohamed Boubekri Ph.D. & Chia-Hui Wang

  2. Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Ivy N. Cheung B.A., Kathryn J. Reid Ph.D. & Phyllis C. Zee M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.S.M.

  3. Department of Architecture, Hwa-Hsia Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chia-Hui Wang

Authors
  1. Mohamed Boubekri Ph.D.
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ivy N. Cheung B.A.
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kathryn J. Reid Ph.D.
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chia-Hui Wang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Phyllis C. Zee M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.S.M.
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Boubekri Ph.D..

Additional information

Address correspondence to: Mohamed Boubekri, Ph.D., School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 611 Taft Drive, Champaign, IL 61820; E-mail: boubekri@illinois.edu

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Boubekri, M., Cheung, I., Reid, K. et al. Impact of Windows and Daylight Exposure on Overall Health and Sleep Quality of Office Workers: A Case-Control Pilot Study. J Clin Sleep Med 10, 603–611 (2014). https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3780

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3780

Keywords