The dark side of light at night: physiological, epidemiological, and ecological consequences
- PMID:17803517
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-079X.2007.00473.x
The dark side of light at night: physiological, epidemiological, and ecological consequences
Abstract
Organisms must adapt to the temporal characteristics of their surroundings to successfully survive and reproduce. Variation in the daily light cycle, for example, acts through endocrine and neurobiological mechanisms to control several downstream physiological and behavioral processes. Interruptions in normal circadian light cycles and the resulting disruption of normal melatonin rhythms cause widespread disruptive effects involving multiple body systems, the results of which can have serious medical consequences for individuals, as well as large-scale ecological implications for populations. With the invention of electrical lights about a century ago, the temporal organization of the environment has been drastically altered for many species, including humans. In addition to the incidental exposure to light at night through light pollution, humans also engage in increasing amounts of shift-work, resulting in repeated and often long-term circadian disruption. The increasing prevalence of exposure to light at night has significant social, ecological, behavioral, and health consequences that are only now becoming apparent. This review addresses the complicated web of potential behavioral and physiological consequences resulting from exposure to light at night, as well as the large-scale medical and ecological implications that may result.
Similar articles
- Combinations of bright light, scheduled dark, sunglasses, and melatonin to facilitate circadian entrainment to night shift work.Crowley SJ, Lee C, Tseng CY, Fogg LF, Eastman CI.Crowley SJ, et al.J Biol Rhythms. 2003 Dec;18(6):513-23. doi: 10.1177/0748730403258422.J Biol Rhythms. 2003.PMID:14667152Clinical Trial.
- Light at Night and Disrupted Circadian Rhythms Alter Physiology and Behavior.Bumgarner JR, Nelson RJ.Bumgarner JR, et al.Integr Comp Biol. 2021 Oct 4;61(3):1160-1169. doi: 10.1093/icb/icab017.Integr Comp Biol. 2021.PMID:33787878Free PMC article.Review.
- Temporal dynamics of circadian phase shifting response to consecutive night shifts in healthcare workers: role of light-dark exposure.Stone JE, Sletten TL, Magee M, Ganesan S, Mulhall MD, Collins A, Howard M, Lockley SW, Rajaratnam SMW.Stone JE, et al.J Physiol. 2018 Jun;596(12):2381-2395. doi: 10.1113/JP275589. Epub 2018 Apr 6.J Physiol. 2018.PMID:29589871Free PMC article.
- Light at night, clocks and health: from humans to wild organisms.Dominoni DM, Borniger JC, Nelson RJ.Dominoni DM, et al.Biol Lett. 2016 Feb;12(2):20160015. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0015.Biol Lett. 2016.PMID:26888917Free PMC article.Review.
- Scheduling of sleep/darkness affects the circadian phase of night shift workers.Santhi N, Duffy JF, Horowitz TS, Czeisler CA.Santhi N, et al.Neurosci Lett. 2005 Aug 26;384(3):316-20. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.04.094.Neurosci Lett. 2005.PMID:15919151Clinical Trial.
Cited by
- Chronobiology by moonlight.Kronfeld-Schor N, Dominoni D, de la Iglesia H, Levy O, Herzog ED, Dayan T, Helfrich-Forster C.Kronfeld-Schor N, et al.Proc Biol Sci. 2013 Jul 3;280(1765):20123088. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.3088. Print 2013 Aug 22.Proc Biol Sci. 2013.PMID:23825199Free PMC article.Review.
- Voluntary scheduled exercise alters diurnal rhythms of behaviour, physiology and gene expression in wild-type and vasoactive intestinal peptide-deficient mice.Schroeder AM, Truong D, Loh DH, Jordan MC, Roos KP, Colwell CS.Schroeder AM, et al.J Physiol. 2012 Dec 1;590(23):6213-26. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.233676. Epub 2012 Sep 17.J Physiol. 2012.PMID:22988135Free PMC article.
- How the Intensity of Night Shift Work Affects Breast Cancer Risk.Szkiela M, Kusideł E, Makowiec-Dąbrowska T, Kaleta D.Szkiela M, et al.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 26;18(9):4570. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094570.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021.PMID:33925799Free PMC article.
- Light pollution alters the phenology of dawn and dusk singing in common European songbirds.Da Silva A, Valcu M, Kempenaers B.Da Silva A, et al.Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 May 5;370(1667):20140126. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0126.Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015.PMID:25780238Free PMC article.
- An inventory of human light exposure behaviour.Siraji MA, Lazar RR, van Duijnhoven J, Schlangen LJM, Haque S, Kalavally V, Vetter C, Glickman GL, Smolders KCHJ, Spitschan M.Siraji MA, et al.Sci Rep. 2023 Dec 13;13(1):22151. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-48241-y.Sci Rep. 2023.PMID:38092767Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Related information
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources