ArticleJournal of pineal research2024
Greater sensitivity of the circadian system of women to bright light, but not dim-to-moderate light.
Article in Journal of pineal research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed.
- The effect of bright light therapy on glycemic control and cortisol rhythmicity in depression: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Trial
- Natural Light Exposure as a Potential 7th Pillar of Lifestyle Medicine.American journal of lifestyle medicine · 2026Article
- Plasma Melatonin Levels, Seasonal Variation, and Sleep Quality: A Stratified Analysis of Adults Aged 25-65 Years Using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Actigraphy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Home-Court Advantage and the Associations of Travel and Jet Lag with Team Performance in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).Sports medicine - open · 2026Article
- Sex and age modulate the relationship between melanopsin-dependent light sensitivity and chronotype.Sleep · 2026Article
- Chronotype score is associated with testosterone levels and estradiol-to-testosterone ratio in young adult Saudi women: a cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Can Morning Light Phase Advance Human Melatonin Rhythms in Less Than 24 h?Journal of pineal research · 2026Review
- Differential effects of sex and age on daily and infradian rhythms of mice.The Journal of physiology · 2026Article
- Naturalistic light exposure patterns in relation to medication status, mood symptoms, and chronotype.Npj biological timing and sleep · 2026Article
- From nighttime light exposure to menstrual health: a critical review of evidence, mechanisms, and nursing interventions.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2026Review
- Circadian regulation of gastrointestinal motility and the effect on disorders of gut-brain interaction.Journal of smooth muscle research = Nihon Heikatsukin Gakkai kikanshi · 2026Review
- Exposure to outdoor artificial light at night is associated with a higher risk of ulcerative colitis: a prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Sex and Seasonal Variations in Melatonin Suppression and Alerting Response to Light.Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2025Article
- Article
- Estrogen signaling is necessary for the sex difference in simulated jet lag in mice.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2025Article
- Light Exposure at Night and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Validation of the Caen Chronotype Questionnaire: Exploring the added value of amplitude and correlations with actigraphy.Chronobiology international · 2025Article
- Sex Differences in Circadian Timing and Biological Night in Adolescents.Journal of biological rhythms · 2025Article
- Greater sensitivity of the circadian system of women to bright light, but not dim-to-moderate light.Journal of pineal research · 2024Article
- Light exposure differs by sex in the US, with females receiving less bright light.Npj biological timing and sleep · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Women typically sleep and wake earlier than men and have been shown to have earlier circadian timing relative to the light/dark cycle that synchronizes the clock. A potential mechanism for earlier timing in women is an altered response of the circadian system to evening light. We characterized individual-level dose-response curves for light-induced melatonin suppression using a within-subjects protocol. Fifty-six participants (29 women, 27 men; aged 18-30 years) were exposed to a range of light illuminances (10, 30, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 2000 lux) using melatonin suppression relative to a dim control (<1 lux) as a marker of light sensitivity. Women were free from hormonal contraception. To examine the potential influence of sex hormones, estradiol and progesterone was examined in women and testosterone was examined in a subset of men. Menstrual phase was monitored using self-reports and estradiol and progesterone levels. Women exhibited significantly greater melatonin suppression than men under the 400-lux and 2000-lux conditions, but not under lower light conditions (10-200 lux). Light sensitivity did not differ by menstrual phase, nor was it associated with levels of estradiol, progesterone, or testosterone, suggesting the sex differences in light sensitivity were not acutely driven by circulating levels of sex hormones. These results suggest that sex differences in circadian timing are not due to differences in the response to dim/moderate light exposures typically experienced in the evening. The finding of increased bright light sensitivity in women suggests that sex differences in circadian timing could plausibly instead be driven by a greater sensitivity to phase-advancing effects of bright morning light.
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