The time has come! By popular request, Chrono@Work has set up a new service for consumers, called Sleep in Sync. Sleep in Sync is available to consumers who want to sleep better and work on this topic. We all know that sleep is important, but one in five Dutch people do not think they sleep…
We are looking for 12 participants to participate in our new pilot study. Recruitment has started. Please sign up now via the link below, if you are interested. The study runs from the 12. April to 11. May 2024. For more information, please read the text below and our flyer: GoGarmin Recruitment Flyer. The biological clock…
Chrono@Work is a science driven company. We perform a lot of research and we collaborate with many clinical and scientific professionals to support analyses and interpret results. In this way we support science and use our expertise on chronobiology and sleep in the fields of psychiatry, metabolism, sleep, and other disciplines. Very regularly we publish…
Anneloes Opperhuizen and Marijke Gordijn, founder of Sleep in Sync and owner of Chrono@Work, have written a book together about the biological clock. The biological clock determines when it is a good or bad time to exercise, think, sleep, eat and much more. It also determines who is a morning person and who is an…
We are looking for the last 50 healthy participants to participate in our new study. Recruitment has started. Please sign up now, if you are interested. Participation is possible in November or December 2023. For more information, please read the complete text below. After our successful light study in 2021 in which we demonstrated beneficial…
In the Knowledge Café of the Forum Groningen on April 24 between 8 and 9:30 pm, Maaike van Veen, psychiatrist, Catrien Santing, historian, and Marijke Gordijn, chronobiologist from Chrono@Work, will discuss the topic of sleep, mood, history, and more. The discussion is led by Ruth Koops van ‘t Jagt. This Knowledge Café was created in…
The results of our study on the effects of near-infrared light (NIR) on health and well-being in people suffering from sleep loss is published today. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, the effects of three NIR light (850 nm) doses (1, 4, or 6.5 J·cm−2) were examined against the placebo. Exposure was presented five days…
Kick off meeting Healthy Living as a service in Martiniplaza. Our goal in this project is to contribute with knowledge on 24-hour rhythms and sleep. Michelle Luxwolda and Rieks Hoekman organised a presentation of Chrono@Work in a booth. The audience could indicate their sleep pattern to create a chronotype distribution in a creative way!
Last August, Marijke Gordijn was interviewed during the night for the Dutch Radio 1 program ‘De Slapelozen’. This broadcast was recorded live in the night between 2 and 4 o’clock. Sleep experts and guests with a different fascination for the night were also guests on 3 other nights. This radio program has now been turned…
In November, we started with recruiting new participants for the study on the effects of near-infrared light. Purpose was to include 20 more subjects in winter. The task was to include them all within 3 weeks to be ready before Christmas. And yes! We are happy to announce that we managed to find 20 enthusiastic…
Can we bring in a bit of sunshine? After 2 successful rounds of the Light Study last summer and winter, we have decided to extend the study into near-infrared light one more time to the coming winter period. This is the first-ever long-term study into the effects of pulsed near-infrared (NIR) light on human well-being…
Do you like translating scientific knowledge into practical solutions for society? Do you have knowledge in the fields of chronobiology and sleep? Do you want to gain experience in a science-driven young and unique company? Then we are looking for you as our new junior science advisor. Who are we looking for? A young scientist…
“Artificial light in most offices and homes undermines performance, well-being and health; it’s time for change and that starts with a new awareness,” says Marijke Gordijn in an article in the LED Magazine of June 2021. Marijke Gordijn has been arguing for the right light at the right time for years. Read the whole article…
Chrono@Work is proud to participate in the EU Horizon2020 Research Project “ENLIGHTENme”: Exploring the Impact of Urban Lighting and Indoor Lighting on Health and Wellbeing, which started with a kick-off meeting on March 4th– 5th, 2021. For the full press release please read more here: 210224_EnlightenME_Press_Release_C@W
On January 8th, Marijke Gordijn from Chrono@Work and Roelof Hut from the University of Groningen were interviewed by EditieNL about the effects of the COVID-19 related restrictions on sleep. Colleagues recently published that on average people sleep longer and later during the lockdown. However, shortage of sleep and sleeping problems have serious health effects. EditieNL…
In the early morning of December 26th, Marijke Gordijn from Chrono@Work gave an interview on NPO Radio 1 about the role of light for well being and health. This item is especially interesting in the dark winter days around Christmas in our region. The focus of the interview was on the new study we do…
Can we bring in a bit of sunshine? After 2 successful rounds of the Light Study last summer and winter, we have decided to extend the study into near-infrared light one more time to the coming winter period. This is the first-ever long-term study into the effects of pulsed near-infrared (NIR) light on human well-being…
The time of day that an Olympic swimming race takes place may affect athletes’ performance and could mean the difference between gold, silver and bronze, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. Countries selected to host the Olympics may adjust race times to accommodate broadcast across continents, requiring athletes to compete at different, sometimes…
Chrono@Work has received a VIA grant from the European Regional Development Fund (EFRO) for support with the development of a new consumer service, namely individual coaching and advice on sleep-wake rhythm disturbances. The grant is for hiring expert Maureen van Veelen from Next Phase Management and Advice, who will help C@W to set up this…
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a serious health threat to the world population. In response, governments are implementing a variety of new policies including self-quarantine, self-isolation and social distancing. While medically necessary to limit spread, these new social policies can disrupt many of the stabilizing factors in our lives which support mental health. In close collaboration,…
The policies to limit spreading of COVID-19 is ‘stay home’ and ‘work from home’. The consequence is that most people see very little daylight. While it is very important to stay home as much as possible and keep ‘social distance’ all the time, in the Netherlands it is not forbidden to go outside. The Dutch…
On 3 February 2020, the Flemish Traffic Sciences Foundation in Belgium (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde or VSV) is launching a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of ‘drowsy driving’. Sleepiness is one of the main causes of fatal traffic accidents. During the campaign, which runs until March 1, 2020, road users can do an online…
After the official approval on 26 June 2019, we organized the kick-off meeting on 4 July of our new project funded by FOOD2020. Together with Food Professionals and C24 we will develop a food concept for employees in night shifts. See the announcement after our pitch in Wageningen: https://www.instazu.com/media/2009642964058772207
The European Parliament voted on March 26th this year in Strasbourg in favour of abolishing the bi-annual change in clock time. From Saturday 30th to Sunday 31st of March 2019, the clock will move forward by one hour to Central European Summertime, but from 2021 the parliament will no longer want these changes to take…
As vice president of the Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms, I want to advertise our upcoming congress. The website to register is open. Last year, we organized the 30th meeting in Groningen, the Netherlands, which was a great success with the largest audience ever. Let’s make the next meeting in Chicago a success…
Chrono@Work published a paper on the role of the biological clock in safety and health in the Dutch journal for health and safety officers: Safety! magazine. In this paper, we explain why we perform so badly during the night and how we can keep our biological clock in synch with the natural rhythm of light…
Last weekend Daylight saving time 2018 ended and Europe went back to Central European Time. In a short movie commissioned by the University of Groningen, Marijke Gordijn explained once more why for us, in the Netherlands, the current time we have in winter is the most optimal choice. In fact, The Netherlands should even be…
Linda Geddes, journalist in the UK, published an article in the Guardian titled “No more snooze button: a complete guide to waking up feeling fantastic“. “Now the clocks have gone back and the days are getting shorter, it can be hard to get out of bed. But, from dawn simulators to a regular wakeup time,…
In August, the European Union voted to abolish the bi-annual change in clock time. `Whether the continent will be in constant ‘wintertime’ or ‘summertime’ remains to be decided and this imposes a lot of debate in the various countries of the European Union. Chrono@Work is actively involved in international and national discussion. International and Dutch…
Marijke Gordijn from Chrono@Work co-authors a paper, published in Scientific Reports, about how the eye uses natural light information to synchronize the biological clock to the outdoor light, even when clouds are covering the sky. The mammalian circadian system encodes both absolute levels of light intensity and color to phaselock (entrain) its rhythm to the…
An overwhelming majority of the European population voted against the Daylight Saving Time (DST) clock shifts. Of the 4.6 million respondents to the online survey of the European Commission, no less than 80 percent indicated they wanted to get rid of the shift back and forth in time twice a year. It is now up…
Invited by Honeywell and Medilux, Chrono@Work gave a lecture in Muscat (Oman) on ‘human solutions for control rooms’. In between very technical lectures and for a very special, interested audience, we talked about putting the human in the center of attention. What can we do to optimize the 24h environment for people working 24/7 in…
On May 17th, Pauline Bollen and Marijke Gordijn from Chrono@Work organized an interactive workshop for a group of 15 social workers of academic institutes in the Netherlands. The assignment was clear: inform us on possible sleep problems we may encounter in our office and how to proceed if we recognize some. The 3h-workshop consisted of…
Chrono@Work B.V. Groningen is the first company this year to receive a grant of € 25,000 of SNN. The innovation grant for the Groningen company is intended for research into the feasibility of a sensor system that teaches poor sleepers to sleep according to their biological clock. Read more on the site of SNN. With…
With deep sadness we received the news that Professor emeritus Serge Daan passed away on Friday, February 9th, 2018. Serge Daan is the founder of Chronobiology at the University of Groningen and made human chronobiology possible by building time isolation units back in the nineties at the Biology department. He was a great teacher and…
In the broadcast of 20 January 2018 Argos investigates the consequences of the night shift for hospital nurses. Sometimes the distress is so severe that nurses hit the pills. What do they do to keep going? What does this mean for patient care? In this episode of Argos, an intensive care unit nurse of the UMC…
Chronobiologists are not in favour of shifting the social clock backwards and forwards twice a year, because of negative effects on sleep and other possible harmful health effects. In the news section of this website the subject has often been discussed. In recent years, the number of advocates for abolishing summertime completely has grown, and…
As a member of the Committee Nightwork, Marijke Gordijn contributed to a new publication of the Health Council of the Netherlands: Health Risks of night shift work. In the Netherlands about 1.3 million people sometimes or regularly work at night. Night shift work disrupts the day-night rhythm of the body, which may lead to adverse…
The Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine goes Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their work in elucidating the molecular mechanisms why which the biological clock synchronizes to the Earth’s 24 hours day.
For more information: https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2017/press.html
After a year of hard work we are there! The teaching materials for the package Charge Your Brainzzz are ready. Charge your Brains teaches highschool students about sleep. On 27 September, Chrono@Work and the Dutch Brain Foundation will launch this special educational package. Charge Your Brainzzz is a modern package with activating learning tools including…
On Thursday October 12th, the 25th Public Day of the Brain Foundation will take place in De Doelen in Rotterdam, with the theme Brain and stimuli. Language is Dutch. During multiple lectures, prominent brain researchers report on their brain and stimuli research. During the breaks, visitors can take a look at the HersenPlaza (formerly Information…
Since 2005 the board of Stockgrand Ltd. stablished the Stockgrand lecture for which they sponsor and propose a distinguished scientist to give a lecture at the European Biological Rhythms Society Congress (EBRS).
This year at the EBRS meeting in Amsterdam, Dr. Marijke Gordijn has been selected for the Stockgrand lecture.
Wednesday September 27th, Chrono@Work and the Brain Foundation will launch the new teaching material Charge Your Brainzzz in the Corpus Congress Centre in Leiden. Charge Your Brainzzz consists of a package of three lessons about sleep regulation and sleep disorders, with activating learning tools, animations (to be used during class) and a serious game developed…
Today we started with recording the first video’s for the e-learning course Animal & Human experimentation. Chrono@Work develops this course together with the University of Groningen. In the next academic year, it will be possible to complete this mastercourse that is obligatory for masterstudents working with animals during their research project completely on demand. With…
In continuation of SLAAP2016, the second Dutch Sleep Congress will be organized again this year under the umbrella of the Dutch Society for Sleep-Wake research (NSWO) and the Sleep Medicine Association Netherlands (SVNL) in the Heerlickheijd in Ermelo. SLAAP 2017 is a unique collaboration between the various disciplines who work in the field of Sleep, such…
We sleep more than one third of our lives. And that’s for a reason: sleep is important for our everyday functioning. If you sleep badly, you have less energy and you can hardly concentrate. There are many ways to learn to sleep better. The Dutch Brain Foundation and Chrono@Work have asked Grendel Games to develop…
On May 16, Chrono @ Work organizes 2 workshops for Ambulance Care Netherlands in the Rijtuigenloods in Amersfoort. These workshops are part of the program ‘Sustainable employability: Optimal on the go!’ Both workshops are fully booked. During the workshop attention is given to the care for the ambulance workers themselves. How to deal with the…
Chrono@Work has moved to a new office. As from March 1st we are housed in the beautiful old milkfactory De Ommelanden, still very close to our colleagues of the University Groningen. Our new address is Friesestraatweg 213, 9743 AD Groningen. Telephone and email have not changed.
The Hague, October 6, 2016 – Many young people suffer from sleep deprivation. This can lead to many problems such as poor academic performance, depression and behavioral problems. Therefore, the Hersenstichting has joined hands with Chrono@Work, a spin-off of the University of Groningen, to develop a school program on sleep for high school students. With…
In their issue No. 19 of 23 August – 6 september, Computer Idee, a magazine about computers and electronics for consumers, pays detailed attention to the pros and cons of blue light filters for computers, tablets and smartphones. The conclusion is that we are exposed to more blue light through the use of electronic screens…
Chrono@Work wrote an informative article in the journal of “Longkruid” of the Dutch Society for Pulmonary Function Analysts. Breathing and sleep are two essential elements of our daily life that, if everything is working correctly, we barely notice. But if something goes wrong, it has a great impact on our daily lives, our work and…
NRC next fact check, examines whether the NRC report in the Algemeen Dagblad of 9 May over Duch being campions at sleeping long is correct. The conclusion was drawn on the basis of an article in Science Advances which made use of data from the worldwide used sleepapp. NRC Next consulted among others, Chrono@Work on this…
Apple recently released a free update to iOS 9.3, the operating system for iPhone and iPad. The most interesting addition this time is the ‘night shift’ function. After sunset, the screen gets a rosy glow that is less bothersome to the eyes and should ensure a better night’s sleep. In the Dagblad van het Noorden…
During the night of Saturday to Sunday daylight saving time will start: the clock will move forward one hour. The discussion to get rid of daylight saving time has been going on for many years. NU.nl asked the experts about their opinion. “I think we can better repeal daylight saving time”, states researcher of human…
Trouble getting out of bed, a constant yearning for chocolate, craving Netflix more than sex… The shortest day might be over, but especially in January and February we massively encounter the winter blues. The University of Groningen figured that in roughly 500.000 Dutch people the winter blues takes on such a violent form that they…
December 11th 2015 the sympium Licht -Donker -Slaap (Light- Dark- Sleep) took place at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. Marijke Gordijn was there to give a lecture regarding ‘when every second counts, the role of sleep and time of day on athletic performance”. Why is sleep an important part of your training-schedule? Does it…
Roughly 16% of the Dutch labor force works during the nightly hours on a regular basis. Signals arise from scientific literature that this might not always be healthy. Research does not yet have a decisive answer to which preventive measures protect employees best. A forward rotating schedule or a short bout of sleep during night…
Marijke Gordijn is researcher at the University of Groningen and entrepreneur. Using her company Chrono@Work she puts knowledge from the field of chronobiology on the market. She tells why daylight saving time should be abolished. Chronobiology got its name in the ‘60s, In Germany research was performed inside a bunker, an area secluded from information…
Dutch symposium – Light and the ageing brain.
‘The optimal working schedule is different for everyone.’ Increasingly, Dutch businesses are looking for ways to increase health of their shift workers, according to chronobiologist Marijke Gordijn of the Univerity of Groningen. Her company Chrono@Work increasingly gets asked about what to do concerning workplace lighting, food patterns and the right way to schedule personnel. Gordijn…
