Outdoor daylight exposure and longer sleep promote wellbeing under COVID‐19 mandated restrictions

• DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13471
• Publication Date: 2021-09-22T04:05:15Z
• Authors: Maria Korman; Vadim Tkachev; Cátia Reis; Yoko Komada; Shingo Kitamura; Denis Gubin; Vinod Kumar; Till Roenneberg
• Keywords: Daylight; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Sleep

Summary Light is an important regulator of daily human physiology in providing time‐of‐day information for the circadian clock to stay synchronised with 24‐hr day. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic led social restrictions many countries prevent virus spreading, that dramatically altered routines and limited outdoor daylight exposure. We previously reported sleep duration increased, jetlag decreased, mid‐sleep times delayed during (Global Chrono Corona Survey, N = 7,517). In present study, we investigated same dataset changes wellbeing their link exposure, sleep–wake behaviour. restrictions, median values quality, quality life, physical activity productivity deteriorated, while screen time exposure was reduced by ~58%. Yet, survey participants also no or even improvements. Larger reductions were linked deteriorations times. Notably, not associated loss. Longer decreased alarm‐clock use dose‐dependently correlated life. Regression analysis each aspect showed a model six predictors including both levels deltas timing explained 5%–10% variance scores (except productivity). As may extenuate negative effects restriction disruption, public strategies pandemics should actively foster spending more daytime outdoors.