Study on the effects of near-infrared is up and running

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…

Longer and later sleep due to lock down

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…

Interview NPO Radio 1 on December 26th

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…

Tips to improve the regularity of daily routines, even when nothing about your life feels regular!

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,…

Campaign against Drowsy Driving

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…

Upcoming lectures on sleep-wake rhythms disturbances and melatonin

Chrono@Work will be present at several symposia, classes and congresses in the upcoming period. Please have a look and subscribe if you are interested in the topic. 16th April 20:00h in Leeuwarden: Studium Generale Het Einde van de Zomertijd en Dan? 18th April whole day in Zeist: Medilex symposium on ‘Slaapproblemen en -stoornissen bij mensen met…

16 tips to wake up easier in The Guardian

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,…

Human solutions for control rooms in Muscat

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…

Charge your Brainzzz is live!

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…

Launching teaching material Charge Your Brainzzz

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…

Radio Noord interview in response to a news report about the fact that 1 out of 6 dutch workers are sleep deprived

On September 12 several media reported that according to a TNS Nipo survey among 3,400 Dutch, that one out of six workers has sleeping problems. In a radio interview with Radio North on September 12 at 13: 40h Marijke Gordijn CEO of Chrono@Work explained what the risks are of sleep deprivation (http://radio.rtvnoord.nl/ipad/index.asp?actie=radiogemist). We should distinguish…

Are blue light filters nonsense?

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…

NRC checks…are the Dutch indeed the champions of sleep?

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…

Effects of a chronic reduction of short-wavelength light input on melatonin and sleep patterns in humans: Evidence for adaptation

Light is an important environmental stimulus for the entrainment of the circadian clock and for increasing alertness. The intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells in the retina play an important role in transferring this light information to the circadian system and they are elicited in particular by short-wavelength light. Exposure to short wavelengths is reduced, for instance, in elderly…

Short-wavelength attenuated polychromatic white light during work at night: limited melatonin suppression without substantial decline of alertness

Van de Werken, M., Giménez, M. C., de Vries, B., Beersma, D. G. M., & Gordijn, M. C. M. Short-wavelength attenuated polychromatic white light during work at night: limited melatonin suppression without substantial decline of alertness. Chronobiology International, 30(7), 843–854. (2013).