Lighting in intensive care units

Linders, I., Rodriguez, F., Goldsworthy, A., Tronstad, O., Garcia-Hansen, V. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing DOI: 10.1016/j.iccn.2026.104421

Abstract: Patients admitted to ICUs are frequently exposed to disrupted light–dark cycles due to limited daylight exposure and inappropriate electrical lighting in terms of intensity, duration, timing, and spectral distribution. Such disruptions can impair circadian entrainment, thereby negatively affecting patient outcomes. Consequently, lighting interventions have been proposed to optimise the ICU environment and patient outcomes, but guidance for ICU lighting design remains limited.