# Relationships between light exposure and aspects of cognitive function in everyday life

## TL;DR

This study shows that real-world light exposure affects cognitive functions like vigilance and memory, with brighter and more stable daytime light leading to better performance.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates how natural light exposure patterns in daily life influence cognitive performance and sleepiness in real-world settings.

## Key findings

- Recent light exposure is significantly associated with subjective sleepiness and reaction times in vigilance and memory tasks.
- Higher daytime light exposure and stable exposure patterns improve cognitive performance in visual search and memory.
- Earlier bedtimes and brighter days strengthen the link between light exposure and sleepiness.

## Abstract

Light exposure can modulate cognitive function, yet its effects outside of controlled laboratory settings remain insufficiently explored. To examine the relationship between real-world light exposure and cognitive performance, we assessed personal light exposure and measured subjective sleepiness, vigilance, working memory, and visual search performance over 7 days of daily life, in a convenience sample of UK adults (n = 58) without significant circadian challenge (shiftwork or jet-lag). A subset of participants (n = 41) attended an in-lab session comprising a battery of pupillometric and psychophysical tests aimed to quantify melanopsin-driven visual responses. We find significant associations between recent light exposure and subjective sleepiness. Recent light exposure was also associated with reaction times for both psychomotor vigilance and working memory tasks. In addition, higher daytime light exposure and an exposure pattern with reduced fragmentation were linked to improved cognitive performance across visual search, psychomotor vigilance, and working memory tasks. Higher daytime light exposure and earlier estimated bedtimes were associated with stronger relationships between recent light exposure and subjective sleepiness. These results provide real world support for the notion that intra- and inter-individual differences in light exposure meaningfully influence aspects of cognition, with beneficial effects of short-term bright light and of habitual light exposure patterns characterized by brighter daytimes, earlier rest phase, and greater intra- and inter-daily stability.

In daily life, light exposure influences cognitive performance in 58 UK adults: brighter, more stable days are linked to better vigilance, memory, and visual search, while recent bright light reduces sleepiness and reaction times.