A team of researchers from Oxford University have found when it comes to sleep, the actual color of light around matters.
Using a mouse model, the researchers found when mice were exposed to green light they were put to sleep quickly, while blue light kept them awake longer. They also found mice missing melanopsin — a light sensor in the eyes — were oblivious to light color, showing the protein is directing the differential response.
Although mice are generally nocturnal creatures, the researchers believe their study reveals the role color plays in sleep and alertness is more complex than originally thought, and shows the extent light affects physiology which can have an impact on the design and use of artificial light sources.
The results of this study were recently published in the open access journal PLOS Biology.
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