Light O'Clock Archiv
33 Episoden
31 Minuten
We often hear about what and how much we should eat. But does when we eat matter too?
In this episode of Light O'Clock, we speak with Dr Emily Manoogian about how our metabolism changes throughout the day and what this means for our eating habits.
We explore whether eating more in the morning is better than eating late in the evening, how meal timing interacts with our internal body clocks, and what the science really says about intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating.
Plus, we discuss some simple, evidence-based tips for timing our meals, without having to completely rearrange our daily routines.
Links and references:
Review paper: Circadian rhythms, time-restricted feeding, and healthy aging
Review paper: When to Eat: The Importance of Eating Patterns in Health and Disease
In this episode of Light O'Clock, we speak with Dr Emily Manoogian about how our metabolism changes throughout the day and what this means for our eating habits.
We explore whether eating more in the morning is better than eating late in the evening, how meal timing interacts with our internal body clocks, and what the science really says about intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating.
Plus, we discuss some simple, evidence-based tips for timing our meals, without having to completely rearrange our daily routines.
Links and references:
Review paper: Circadian rhythms, time-restricted feeding, and healthy aging
Review paper: When to Eat: The Importance of Eating Patterns in Health and Disease
22 Minuten
In this episode, we speak with Roos Bos, a PhD researcher in the Netherlands studying how light exposure affects preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Roos breaks down:
How the circadian system develops before and after birth
How the NICU environment differs from the rhythmic environment of the womb
Why light-dark cycles may matter during this sensitive period of development and what we currently know about lighting interventions in the NICU
How time cues, such as feeding, breast milk and temperature could help support developing circadian rhythms
Links and references:
Paper: Skin-to-skin contact improves sleep stability in preterm infants
Paper: Towards implementation of continuous biologically relevant light measurements at the bedside in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Roos breaks down:
How the circadian system develops before and after birth
How the NICU environment differs from the rhythmic environment of the womb
Why light-dark cycles may matter during this sensitive period of development and what we currently know about lighting interventions in the NICU
How time cues, such as feeding, breast milk and temperature could help support developing circadian rhythms
Links and references:
Paper: Skin-to-skin contact improves sleep stability in preterm infants
Paper: Towards implementation of continuous biologically relevant light measurements at the bedside in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
26 Minuten
Cancer and its treatment are often accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, sleep problems, low mood, and cognitive difficulties. These symptoms frequently occur together, and circadian disruption may be one factor contributing to their development and persistence.
In this episode of Light O’Clock, we speak with Lisa Maria Wu about how cancer and its treatments can affect circadian rhythms and how these changes are measured. We also discuss bright-light therapy and other behavioural approaches that may help strengthen circadian rhythms, as well as what research is still needed before these strategies become part of routine cancer care.
Links and resources:
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.1009064
10.1002/pon.3553
In this episode of Light O’Clock, we speak with Lisa Maria Wu about how cancer and its treatments can affect circadian rhythms and how these changes are measured. We also discuss bright-light therapy and other behavioural approaches that may help strengthen circadian rhythms, as well as what research is still needed before these strategies become part of routine cancer care.
Links and resources:
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.1009064
10.1002/pon.3553
32 Minuten
Is there a best time for a vaccine? In this episode of Light O'Clock, we speak with Dr Cathy A. Wyse about whether the time of day when we receive a vaccine can influence how we respond to it.
We first discuss how circadian rhythms shape the immune system, how vaccines work, and the difference between vaccine response (e.g., antibody levels) and vaccine effectiveness (i.e., protection against infection or disease). We then discuss why the current evidence remains mixed and how factors such as chronotype, sleep, age, sex, prior immunity, and vaccine type may influence results.
Paper reference: https://doi.org/10.1177/07487304241232447
The key message: the immune system is rhythmic, so timing could matter -- but the evidence is not yet strong enough to recommend one specific time of day for vaccination. For now, the most important advice remains: get vaccinated when you can.
We first discuss how circadian rhythms shape the immune system, how vaccines work, and the difference between vaccine response (e.g., antibody levels) and vaccine effectiveness (i.e., protection against infection or disease). We then discuss why the current evidence remains mixed and how factors such as chronotype, sleep, age, sex, prior immunity, and vaccine type may influence results.
Paper reference: https://doi.org/10.1177/07487304241232447
The key message: the immune system is rhythmic, so timing could matter -- but the evidence is not yet strong enough to recommend one specific time of day for vaccination. For now, the most important advice remains: get vaccinated when you can.
36 Minuten
In the first episode of Season 4, we start with the foundations of circadian medicine.
Together with our guest Henrik Oster, we take a tour through the circadian system and ask what biological timing has to do with health and disease. We discuss how the body coordinates different physiological and behavioural functions across the 24-hour day, what can happen when internal rhythms become disrupted, and why timing may matter in medicine.
We then introduce three key ideas in circadian medicine: exploiting the clock to optimise the timing of treatments, targeting the clock as part of therapy, and detecting the clock to better personalise healthcare. Finally, we examine the current state of the field, the challenges of integrating circadian principles into clinical practice, and the future of circadian medicine.
This episode sets the stage for the rest of the season, where we will explore specific areas of circadian medicine in more detail – from vaccines and cancer care to neonatal health, metabolism, exercise, and shift work. Stay tuned!
Together with our guest Henrik Oster, we take a tour through the circadian system and ask what biological timing has to do with health and disease. We discuss how the body coordinates different physiological and behavioural functions across the 24-hour day, what can happen when internal rhythms become disrupted, and why timing may matter in medicine.
We then introduce three key ideas in circadian medicine: exploiting the clock to optimise the timing of treatments, targeting the clock as part of therapy, and detecting the clock to better personalise healthcare. Finally, we examine the current state of the field, the challenges of integrating circadian principles into clinical practice, and the future of circadian medicine.
This episode sets the stage for the rest of the season, where we will explore specific areas of circadian medicine in more detail – from vaccines and cancer care to neonatal health, metabolism, exercise, and shift work. Stay tuned!
2 Minuten
Light O'Clock is back with Season 4! In this new season, we explore how biological timing shapes health and disease, and how accounting for circadian rhythms may help improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We will discuss topics such as immunity and vaccination, cancer care, neonatal health, metabolism, exercise, and shift work.
Join us as we take a tour through the emerging field of circadian medicine, and ask what it could mean for the future of healthcare.
Join us as we take a tour through the emerging field of circadian medicine, and ask what it could mean for the future of healthcare.
1 Stunde 13 Minuten
In the final episode of this mini-series, Caro, Anna, and Priji explore how the built environment shapes our interactions with daylight. From balconies and windows to schools, workplaces, and public spaces, the places we move through every day influence how much natural light we receive and how we experience it.
These spaces are more than design choices. They are shaped by culture, climate, geography, and daily routines. Together with our interviewees, we discuss how architecture can either support or limit our relationship with daylight, and why paying attention to light in our environments matters for well-being, mood, and everyday life.
Key highlights from this episode:
How homes, workplaces, and schools affect daylight exposure
Why balconies and "transitional spaces" can feel so meaningful
The role of window design and orientation (we even get poetic about windows!)
How thoughtful design can help us build a healthier relationship with daylight
Links and resources:
Anna and Priji’s publication describing their framework: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00159-5
Visualisation of the framework’s “bubbles”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00159-5/figures/3
More about the Daylight Academy (DLA) Project: https://daylight.academy/projects/daylight-interactions/
These spaces are more than design choices. They are shaped by culture, climate, geography, and daily routines. Together with our interviewees, we discuss how architecture can either support or limit our relationship with daylight, and why paying attention to light in our environments matters for well-being, mood, and everyday life.
Key highlights from this episode:
How homes, workplaces, and schools affect daylight exposure
Why balconies and "transitional spaces" can feel so meaningful
The role of window design and orientation (we even get poetic about windows!)
How thoughtful design can help us build a healthier relationship with daylight
Links and resources:
Anna and Priji’s publication describing their framework: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00159-5
Visualisation of the framework’s “bubbles”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00159-5/figures/3
More about the Daylight Academy (DLA) Project: https://daylight.academy/projects/daylight-interactions/
1 Minute
In the second episode of our Interacting with Daylight mini-series, Caro is joined by Anna and Priji again to explore how cultural traditions and individual behaviours shape our interactions with daylight.
Building on the previous discussion of location, this episode shifts the focus to how social norms, gender roles, and cultural traditions shape people’s experiences and interactions with daylight.
Links and resources:
Anna and Priji’s publication describing their framework: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00159-5
Visualisation of the framework’s “bubbles”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00159-5/figures/3
More about the Daylight Academy (DLA) Project: https://daylight.academy/projects/daylight-interactions/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:23) What do we mean by culture and behaviours
(03:53) Snippets: solar eclipse and Norwegian winter
(08:40) Yellow dishes & the sun
(12:10) Snippets: Daylight in Spain vs Norway
(19:30) Snippets: Sun exposure, skin care, and lunch habits in Rochester
(20:20) Snippets: Clothing & sun umbrellas
(25:00) Gender roles and exposure to daylight
(32:57) Focus group snippets: Cultural differences around daylight
(43:57) Snippets: Playing as kids — outdoor and indoor behaviours
(47:50) Snippets: Schools and daylight habits in schools in different countries
(51:54) Reflections on outdoor/indoor habits in schools
(55:40) Outro: how different languages refer to (day)light
Building on the previous discussion of location, this episode shifts the focus to how social norms, gender roles, and cultural traditions shape people’s experiences and interactions with daylight.
Links and resources:
Anna and Priji’s publication describing their framework: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00159-5
Visualisation of the framework’s “bubbles”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00159-5/figures/3
More about the Daylight Academy (DLA) Project: https://daylight.academy/projects/daylight-interactions/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:23) What do we mean by culture and behaviours
(03:53) Snippets: solar eclipse and Norwegian winter
(08:40) Yellow dishes & the sun
(12:10) Snippets: Daylight in Spain vs Norway
(19:30) Snippets: Sun exposure, skin care, and lunch habits in Rochester
(20:20) Snippets: Clothing & sun umbrellas
(25:00) Gender roles and exposure to daylight
(32:57) Focus group snippets: Cultural differences around daylight
(43:57) Snippets: Playing as kids — outdoor and indoor behaviours
(47:50) Snippets: Schools and daylight habits in schools in different countries
(51:54) Reflections on outdoor/indoor habits in schools
(55:40) Outro: how different languages refer to (day)light
1 Minute
In this first episode of our new Interacting with Daylight mini-series, your host Caro is joined by Anna and Priji to discuss the Daylight Interaction Project, funded by the Daylight Academy. The project explores how people interact with daylight in everyday life and how this is shaped by factors such as location, built environments, culture and behaviours.
The episode focuses on the first part of their framework: Location. Through interview snippets recorded during the Daylight Academy Summer School in beautiful Chexbres, Switzerland, the hosts reflect on how geography, climate, temperature and landscape can influence experiences of daylight.
Interviewees come from diverse locations and latitudes: Singapore, Norway, Rochester (USA), and Costa Rica — offering perspectives on topics such as seasonal daylight changes, tropical versus northern light environments, and associations with sunlight and darkness.
Links and resources:
Anna and Priji’s publication describing their framework: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00159-5
Visualisation of the framework’s “bubbles”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00159-5/figures/3
More about the Daylight Academy (DLA) Project: https://daylight.academy/projects/daylight-interactions/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro: the Daylight Interaction Project
(10:20) Project summary and interviewees
(13:51) Geolocation: latitudes, climatic zones, seasons, geographical context
(19:51) Snippets: associations with daylight and darkness
(30:50) Daylight as a placemaking tool
(34:21) Daylight vs sunlight
(37:55) Snippets: Seasonal changes and colours
(53:05) Reflections on seasonality
(59:33) Episode summary
(01:02:00) Outro: darkness associations
The episode focuses on the first part of their framework: Location. Through interview snippets recorded during the Daylight Academy Summer School in beautiful Chexbres, Switzerland, the hosts reflect on how geography, climate, temperature and landscape can influence experiences of daylight.
Interviewees come from diverse locations and latitudes: Singapore, Norway, Rochester (USA), and Costa Rica — offering perspectives on topics such as seasonal daylight changes, tropical versus northern light environments, and associations with sunlight and darkness.
Links and resources:
Anna and Priji’s publication describing their framework: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00159-5
Visualisation of the framework’s “bubbles”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00159-5/figures/3
More about the Daylight Academy (DLA) Project: https://daylight.academy/projects/daylight-interactions/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro: the Daylight Interaction Project
(10:20) Project summary and interviewees
(13:51) Geolocation: latitudes, climatic zones, seasons, geographical context
(19:51) Snippets: associations with daylight and darkness
(30:50) Daylight as a placemaking tool
(34:21) Daylight vs sunlight
(37:55) Snippets: Seasonal changes and colours
(53:05) Reflections on seasonality
(59:33) Episode summary
(01:02:00) Outro: darkness associations
24 Minuten
In this special episode of Light O’Clock, we share snippets from our very first live recording, captured on stage at Buch Wien in Vienna in November 2025.
Host Caro Guidolin and her colleague Marie-Luise Schreiter answer audience questions on chronotype, light exposure, sleep, shift work, and why people feel more tired in winter.
Host Caro Guidolin and her colleague Marie-Luise Schreiter answer audience questions on chronotype, light exposure, sleep, shift work, and why people feel more tired in winter.
1 Minute
Many people notice changes in mood, energy, and motivation during the dark winter months. In this episode, we explore Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and the broader experience of feeling low in winter and, importantly, what science-backed strategies can help.
We speak to Delainey Wescott about changes in sleep and circadian rhythms in SAD, and chat with Hester Parr and Hayden Lorimer about the Wintering Well project — an initiative that highlights the power of community, shared experiences, and collective coping during the darker months.
Throughout the episode, we discuss practical approaches to winter wellbeing, including light exposure, daily routines, cognitive reframing of winter, and small habits that can make a meaningful difference.
Links and resources:
Sleep in seasonal affective disorder: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.08.023
Retinal light sensitivity in summer and winter: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.084
Wintering Well resources (Living with SAD project): https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/livingwithsad/winteringwell/resources/. Includes: the guidebook Light is a Right: A Guide to Wintering Well, an online course developed by CBT experts, the Wintering Together Toolkit, and the SAD Stories Exhibition.
Timestamps:
(02:24) What is SAD and how is that different from the winter blues?
(05:16) Geography matters: who is affected by SAD?
(06:50) Circadian rhythms and sleep in SAD
(09:38) Light sensitivity in SAD
(11:50) Evidence-based strategies to alleviate SAD symptoms
(17:30) Summary
(18:35) The Living with SAD project
(22:30) Wintering Well Workshops
(25:45) My patch of winter sky, writing a letter to winter, and my kind of winter neighbourhood
(34:00) Winter Well resources created by the workshops
(36:28) The present and future of the Living with SAD project
(39:45) Wrap up and outro
We speak to Delainey Wescott about changes in sleep and circadian rhythms in SAD, and chat with Hester Parr and Hayden Lorimer about the Wintering Well project — an initiative that highlights the power of community, shared experiences, and collective coping during the darker months.
Throughout the episode, we discuss practical approaches to winter wellbeing, including light exposure, daily routines, cognitive reframing of winter, and small habits that can make a meaningful difference.
Links and resources:
Sleep in seasonal affective disorder: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.08.023
Retinal light sensitivity in summer and winter: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.084
Wintering Well resources (Living with SAD project): https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/livingwithsad/winteringwell/resources/. Includes: the guidebook Light is a Right: A Guide to Wintering Well, an online course developed by CBT experts, the Wintering Together Toolkit, and the SAD Stories Exhibition.
Timestamps:
(02:24) What is SAD and how is that different from the winter blues?
(05:16) Geography matters: who is affected by SAD?
(06:50) Circadian rhythms and sleep in SAD
(09:38) Light sensitivity in SAD
(11:50) Evidence-based strategies to alleviate SAD symptoms
(17:30) Summary
(18:35) The Living with SAD project
(22:30) Wintering Well Workshops
(25:45) My patch of winter sky, writing a letter to winter, and my kind of winter neighbourhood
(34:00) Winter Well resources created by the workshops
(36:28) The present and future of the Living with SAD project
(39:45) Wrap up and outro
70 Sekunden
Light O’Clock is going live from Vienna at Buch Wien 2025 on Saturday, 15 November – and this time, you set the agenda for the episode!
Together with Marie Luise Schreiter, we’ll be diving into your questions about how light shapes our brains, bodies, health, and daily rhythms – live on stage.
What have you always wanted to know about light, sleep, or circadian rhythms?
Send us your question through this link: https://form.jotform.com/252533837926365
Together with Marie Luise Schreiter, we’ll be diving into your questions about how light shapes our brains, bodies, health, and daily rhythms – live on stage.
What have you always wanted to know about light, sleep, or circadian rhythms?
Send us your question through this link: https://form.jotform.com/252533837926365
58 Minuten
For our Season 3 finale of Light O’Clock, we dive into a timely and often overlooked issue: light pollution. Artificial light at night has become a constant in modern life — but what are the hidden consequences?
Our guests, Barbara Harding, Travis Longcore and Karolina M. Zielińska-Dąbkowska, bring scientific insight into how nighttime light exposure may affect human health, including possible links to cancer, and how it disrupts wildlife, ecosystems, and natural rhythms. We also explore practical solutions: since we can’t simply switch off the lights, how can we use artificial light more responsibly to protect both ourselves and the environment? We explain the five principles for responsible outdoor lighting created by International DarkSky Association (now DarkSky International) and the Illuminating Engineering Society.
Links and resources
DarkSky International website: https://darksky.org/
Ecological light pollution: https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002[0191:ELP]2.0.CO;2
Five principles for responsible outdoor lighting: https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles/
Outdoor artificial light and cardiometabolic risk: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae269
Artificial light at night and cancer risk: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177059
Timestamps
(00:00) What is light pollution?
(02:17) Light at night and circadian rhythms
(05:18) Light at night and cancer risk
(09:35) How light pollution is measured
(16:11) What's the link between light at night exposure and disease risk?
(19:00) Ecological light pollution
(20:50) Effects of light pollution in animals: birds and turtles
(26:00) Artificial light and animals' circadian rhythms
(28:55) Light pollution changing predators-preys dynamics
(32:30) Awareness towards light pollution in different countries
(35:20) Why did we start to use artificial light in the first place?
(40:30) What are the current lighting standards?
(43:00) Different stakeholders involved in outdoor lighting
(47:00) Five principles for responsible outdoor lighting
(55:20) Wrap up and outro
Our guests, Barbara Harding, Travis Longcore and Karolina M. Zielińska-Dąbkowska, bring scientific insight into how nighttime light exposure may affect human health, including possible links to cancer, and how it disrupts wildlife, ecosystems, and natural rhythms. We also explore practical solutions: since we can’t simply switch off the lights, how can we use artificial light more responsibly to protect both ourselves and the environment? We explain the five principles for responsible outdoor lighting created by International DarkSky Association (now DarkSky International) and the Illuminating Engineering Society.
Links and resources
DarkSky International website: https://darksky.org/
Ecological light pollution: https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002[0191:ELP]2.0.CO;2
Five principles for responsible outdoor lighting: https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles/
Outdoor artificial light and cardiometabolic risk: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae269
Artificial light at night and cancer risk: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177059
Timestamps
(00:00) What is light pollution?
(02:17) Light at night and circadian rhythms
(05:18) Light at night and cancer risk
(09:35) How light pollution is measured
(16:11) What's the link between light at night exposure and disease risk?
(19:00) Ecological light pollution
(20:50) Effects of light pollution in animals: birds and turtles
(26:00) Artificial light and animals' circadian rhythms
(28:55) Light pollution changing predators-preys dynamics
(32:30) Awareness towards light pollution in different countries
(35:20) Why did we start to use artificial light in the first place?
(40:30) What are the current lighting standards?
(43:00) Different stakeholders involved in outdoor lighting
(47:00) Five principles for responsible outdoor lighting
(55:20) Wrap up and outro
41 Minuten
Why do early mornings feel so brutal for teens? In this episode, we explore the science behind teenage sleep and circadian rhythms and why early school start times may be setting students up for failure.
We talk to students from Italy and Germany, and sleep researcher Dr. Anna Magdalena Biller, to understand how biology, not laziness, is behind teen sleep struggles — and what schools, parents, and teachers could do about it.
Big thanks to Margha, Lea, Giulia, Alice and Viola for sharing their perspectives on school start times!
Links and resources related to the episode’s content:
Review: Adolescent sleep & school timing
Meta-analysis: School start times and academic achievement
Flexible school start study (Germany)
Expert report for Belgium (only in German)
Timestamps
(00:00) Intro & questions to teenagers
(04:15) Circadian rhythms and sleep in adolescence
(10:15) Consequences of sleep deprivation for teens
(12:28) Initiatives aimed at delaying school start times
(14:48) Studies on changing school start times
(16:55) How do these studies measure sleep?
(19:48) Is changing school start times beneficial for teens?
(26:40) Challenges with implementation in schools
(30:35) What other solutions can we use?
(39:50) Outro
We talk to students from Italy and Germany, and sleep researcher Dr. Anna Magdalena Biller, to understand how biology, not laziness, is behind teen sleep struggles — and what schools, parents, and teachers could do about it.
Big thanks to Margha, Lea, Giulia, Alice and Viola for sharing their perspectives on school start times!
Links and resources related to the episode’s content:
Review: Adolescent sleep & school timing
Meta-analysis: School start times and academic achievement
Flexible school start study (Germany)
Expert report for Belgium (only in German)
Timestamps
(00:00) Intro & questions to teenagers
(04:15) Circadian rhythms and sleep in adolescence
(10:15) Consequences of sleep deprivation for teens
(12:28) Initiatives aimed at delaying school start times
(14:48) Studies on changing school start times
(16:55) How do these studies measure sleep?
(19:48) Is changing school start times beneficial for teens?
(26:40) Challenges with implementation in schools
(30:35) What other solutions can we use?
(39:50) Outro
33 Minuten
Today, more and more children around the world are developing myopia, or nearsightedness — especially in East Asia, where prevalence among school-aged children can reach up to 70%.
Can simply spending more time outside in daylight help protect children from developing myopia?
In this episode, our guest Asst. Prof. Raymond P. Najjar (National University of Singapore) breaks down:
What we know about the link between light exposure and myopia in children
Why kids aren’t spending enough time outdoors (and no — it’s not just because of tablets!)
How we might be able to rethink indoor lighting in schools to better support healthy visual development
Links and resources related to the episode’s content
The influence of lifestyle and the environment on myopia: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-024-00354-7
Outdoor activity reduces the prevalence on myopia in children: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.12.019
Prompting parents to make their kids spend more time outdoor: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2796425
More info on the LightSPAN project: https://eyenbrain.com/project-lightspan/
Timestamps
(00:00) Intro and questions to kids
(02:37) Guest introduction
(03:30) Understanding myopia: causes and prevalence
(06:58) The role of light and the environment
(11:45) Challenges in increasing outdoor time in kids
(16:27) Improving indoor lighting for myopia control: the LightSPAN project
(23:09) Behavioural interventions with parents
(27:14) Light exposure and myopia control in adults
(29:30) Conclusions
(31:07) Outro with more kids snippets
Can simply spending more time outside in daylight help protect children from developing myopia?
In this episode, our guest Asst. Prof. Raymond P. Najjar (National University of Singapore) breaks down:
What we know about the link between light exposure and myopia in children
Why kids aren’t spending enough time outdoors (and no — it’s not just because of tablets!)
How we might be able to rethink indoor lighting in schools to better support healthy visual development
Links and resources related to the episode’s content
The influence of lifestyle and the environment on myopia: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-024-00354-7
Outdoor activity reduces the prevalence on myopia in children: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.12.019
Prompting parents to make their kids spend more time outdoor: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2796425
More info on the LightSPAN project: https://eyenbrain.com/project-lightspan/
Timestamps
(00:00) Intro and questions to kids
(02:37) Guest introduction
(03:30) Understanding myopia: causes and prevalence
(06:58) The role of light and the environment
(11:45) Challenges in increasing outdoor time in kids
(16:27) Improving indoor lighting for myopia control: the LightSPAN project
(23:09) Behavioural interventions with parents
(27:14) Light exposure and myopia control in adults
(29:30) Conclusions
(31:07) Outro with more kids snippets
