why is daylight so important in modern workplace by 0813 studio interior designers.

Here are some evidences:

A study published in the scientific journal SLEEP Volume 36, compared the health of workers in windowless offices to those working in offices with windows allowing a flow of natural light.

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Compared to the group with no windows, workers with windows in the workplace had 173 per cent more natural light exposure during the workday and slept an average of 47 minutes more per night, as well as sleeping more soundly and waking more refreshed. Workers with windows had more energy and vitality and undertook more activity during the day than their windowless counterparts, who showed more daytime dysfunction and tiredness.

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The report said: “These results demonstrate a strong link between workplace daylight exposure and office workers’ sleep quality, activity patterns, and general quality of life.” It suggested office workers increase their exposure to natural light through the day and that building design provide sufficient daylight exposure as it can improve workers’ physical and mental wellbeing. The study said: “Exposure to natural daylight has profound effects on factors such as mood, cognition, sleep, health and behavioural measures.

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The study reported on research by the Interdepartmental Neuroscience program at Northwestern University in Chicago, which also clearly showed detrimental health effects on workers who worked in windowless offices. Compared to workers in offices without windows, those with windows in the workplace received 173 percent more white light exposure during work hours and slept an average of 46 minutes more per night. Workers without windows reported lower scores than their counterparts on quality of life measures related to physical problems and vitality. They also had poorer outcomes in measures of overall sleep quality, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction.

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"The extent to which daylight exposure impacts office workers is remarkable," said study co-author Ivy Cheung, a Neuroscience doctoral candidate at Northwestern University.

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Light is the main cue influencing circadian rhythms. Exposure to natural light turns the genes that control an organism’s internal clocks "on" and "off." Circadian rhythms dictate: sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature and other important bodily functions. Disruptions of circadian rhythms such as experienced by workers who lack exposure to natural light is directly linked to sleep disorders. Abnormal circadian rhythms have also been associated with obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The study concluded that sleep disorders caused by lack of exposure to natural light had reached epidemic proportions.

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Ivy Cheung and her colleagues at Northwestern conclude, “the architectural design of office environments should take into consideration how natural daylight exposure may contribute to employee wellness.”