Light targeting the melanopic system suppresses melatonin, but does not alter sleepiness, vigilance, sensory processing, or sleep

Abstract

Pre-sleep exposure to short-wavelength light suppresses melatonin and decreases sleepiness with activating effects extending to sleep. This has mainly been attributed to melanopic effects, but mechanistic insights are missing. Thus, we investigated whether two light conditions only differing in the melanopic effects (123 vs. 59 lux melanopic EDI) differentially affect sleep besides melatonin. Additionally, we studied whether the light differentially modulates sensory processing during wakefulness and sleep. Twenty-nine healthy volunteers (18-30 years, 15 women) were exposed to two metameric light conditions (high-vs. low-melanopic, {approx}60 photopic lux) for 1 hour ending 50 min prior to habitual bed time. This was followed by an 8-h sleep opportunity with polysomnography. Objective sleep measurements were complemented by self-report. Salivary melatonin, subjective sleepiness, and behavioural vigilance were sampled at regular intervals. Sensory processing was evaluated during light exposure and sleep on the basis of neural responses related to violations of expectations in an oddball paradigm. We observed suppression of melatonin by {approx}14 % in the high-compared to the low-melanopic condition. However, conditions did not differentially affect sleep, sleep quality, sleepiness, or vigilance. A neural mismatch response was evident during all sleep stages, but not differentially modulated by light. Suppression of melatonin by light targeting the melanopic system does not automatically translate to acutely altered levels of vigilance or sleepiness or to changes in sleep, sleep quality, or basic sensory processing. Given contradicting earlier findings and the retinal anatomy, this may suggest that an interaction between melanopsin and cone-rod signals needs to be considered. Statement of SignificanceMetameric light allows to mechanistically investigate the contribution of one specific retinal receptor. Using this approach, we here investigated the effects of high-vs. low-melanopic light for 1 hour in the evening at ecologically valid screen illuminance ({approx}60 photopic lux). Going beyond earlier research, we also investigated effects on sleep. We found that despite significant suppression of melatonin, other endpoints including sleep and sleep quality were not differentially affected. This underlines that melatonin suppression does not automatically translate to alterations of sleep, sleepiness, or vigilance. Further, it suggests that melanopsin effects may need to be studied in the context of cone-rod signals. Future research should thus investigate the relevance of such an interaction, which may vary between endpoints.