Light Treatment for Sleep Disorders in Shift Workers

Abstract

Synopsis This paper reviewed 46 studies that examined light treatment for shift work. The majority of the studies were carefully controlled laboratory or field experiments. Most studies used simulated night shifts. A smaller number of studies have begun to test complex bright light protocols for simulated rotating shifts. The authors commented that real shift workers are exposed to many competing external cues in their work and home environments that make implementation of the current experimental protocols difficult, if not impractical. The studies used young, healthy volunteers. Middle age and older subjects, persons with various chron-436 AAOHN JOURNAL