Data from: Natural light exposure, sleep and depression among day workers and shiftworkers at Arctic and Equatorial latitudes

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between individual natural light exposure, sleep need, and depression at two latitudes, one extreme with a few hours of light per day during winter, and the other with equal hours of light and darkness throughout the year. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a sample of Brazilian workers (Equatorial, n = 488 workers) and a Swedish sample (Arctic, n = 1,273). Results: The reported mean total natural light exposure per 4-week cycle differed significantly between the Equatorial and Arctic regions. However, shiftworkers from both sites reported similar hours of natural light exposure. Short light exposure was a predictor for insufficient sleep. Conclusion: Reduced exposure to natural light appears to increase the perception of obtaining insufficient sleep. Arctic workers were more prone to develop depression than Equatorial workers.研究目的：本研究旨在探讨两个纬度带内个体自然光暴露量、睡眠需求与抑郁状态之间的关联；其中一个纬度带为冬季每日日照时长仅数小时的极端高纬度区域，另一个则为全年昼夜时长均等的区域。 研究方法：本横断面研究（cross-sectional study）纳入两组样本：巴西工人队列（赤道组，n=488名工人）与瑞典工人队列（北极组，n=1273名工人）。 研究结果：报告显示，赤道与北极地区的受试者每4周周期内的平均总自然光暴露量存在显著差异。但两地的轮班工人报告的自然光暴露时长相近。较短的自然光暴露时长可作为睡眠不足的预测因子。 结论：自然光暴露减少似乎会增强个体对睡眠不足的主观感知。北极组工人相较于赤道组工人，更易罹患抑郁。