Chamomile tea, a warm glass of milk before bed and removing all electronic devices from your bedroom – these strategies for combating insomnia could become redundant as experts have revealed the real secret to a good night’s sleep could lie in where you sit at work.
Windowless office rooms can cost workers 46 minutes of sleep a night according to new research from the University of Illinois, Northwestern University in Chicago and the Hwa-Hsia Institute of Technology in Taiwan.
Those sitting next to a window can also expect a less disrupted sleep pattern.
The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, has shown that sitting at a desk space with little exposure to light can lead to less sleep, as light-deprived employees may find their body's internal clock left out of sync.
Researchers claimed that better designed offices could boost the physical and mental health of workers, adding that regular sleepless nights can lead to serious medical conditions such as obesity, heart problems and diabetes.
Sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley emphasised the need for natural daylight over artificial lighting.
“The problem with office lighting is that it is not made up of 'blue' light, which is the wavelength of light you get from the sun and which controls your body clock. So you could have a very well lit office but it does not have the same effect because it's artificial and does not contain blue light,” he said.
49 office employees were recruited for the study, with just over half spending the day in a windowless environment and the rest frequently exposed to daylight through windows.
Those most exposed to ‘work-time light’ enjoyed, on average, an extra 46 minutes more sleep per night than their light-deprived colleagues, and were more likely to exercise.
Michelle L