With the advent of 24 hours service and shopping, people have had to accommodate the demands associated with night shifts and trying to sleep during daylight hours. Some office buildings are devoid of natural sunlight and are windowless, factors that disrupt one perception of the hours that pass. Casinos are a great example of how people lose complete track of time.

A National Research Council’s symposium held in Ottawa this weekend reviewed research on the impact light has on our health. How does light affect out health and well-being?

• Dr. Jennifer Veitch, Senior Research Officer (Lighting), Institute for Research in Construction at the National Research Council. Dr. Veitch has been active in environmental psychology research concerning office environments since 1985 at laboratories at the University of Manitoba, University of California at Irvine, and University of Victoria, and at NRC / IRC since 1992.

  Her expertise is in Environmental psychology: the study of the effects of the physical environment on human behaviour and well-being, particularly the effects of lighting quality and acoustics on office workers