Bright Light vs Melatonin vs Placebo in Shift Workers: Randomized Field Study
Summary
Compared bright light, melatonin, and placebo across day and night shifts; mixed benefits with modest effects on sleep and sleepiness.
Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls
Participants randomized in this trial how timing and spectrum of light on shift versus before daytime sleep showed sleep & alertness for night‑shift workers and night owls. Together with other trials, it frames light as a measurable lever for on‑shift alertness and next‑day sleep, not just ambience. For people who work nights, that frames an everyday choice (when you eat, how you light the end of a shift, how rest is split) as part of the mechanism, not just routine.
Notes
Field conditions; classic comparator trial.