Light Exposure Rhythms and Sleep Organization in Adolescents: Temporal Differences Between Weekdays and Weekends in an Actigraphic Study.

Abstract

Light exposure is a primary zeitgeber for the human circadian system and plays a key role in shaping sleep-wake patterns during adolescence, a period marked by biological sensitivity and social constraints. How the temporal organization and spectral composition of daily light exposure differ between weekdays and weekends remains poorly understood. Eighteen adolescents (15-17 years) were monitored for seven days using wrist actigraphy with integrated light sensors. Sleep parameters, nonparametric circadian rhythm indices, and time-resolved profiles of ambient and spectral (blue, green, and red) light exposure were analyzed. Repeated-measures ANOVA tested the effects of time of day and day type. Total sleep time and time in bed were longer on weekdays than on weekends (p < 0.05), while sleep latency and WASO did not differ. Circadian indices indicated preserved rhythmic organization. Light exposure showed a robust diurnal profile, with higher spectral irradiance on weekends (p < 0.001), especially in the morning and early afternoon. Significant time × day-type interactions were observed across all spectral bands (p < 0.001), indicating systematic reshaping of daily light profiles. Adolescents exhibit weekday-weekend differences in the temporal and spectral organization of light exposure, affecting the amplitude and shape of overall daily profiles.