Employees who are lucky enough to snag an office with a view not only have a sunnier disposition, thanks to the rays of sunshine splashed across their desk. It turns out they also have better overall health than their coworkers whose desks are stuffed in drab corners lacking natural light.

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows workers with office windows get 46 more minutes of sleep per night, tend to exercise more, and have lower blood pressure than those without a view.

Ivy Cheung, a doctoral candidate at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and coauthor of the study, says sleep studies have shown that light is the most important synchronizing agent for the brain and the body, but the impact of light during our workday hasn’t been as well documented.

Workers with office windows get 46 more minutes of sleep per night, tend to exercise more, and have lower blood pressure than those without a view.

By examining office employees working a typical day shift–between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.–some of whom were working in windowless offices, and others who had an office with a view, the researchers measured their quantity and quality of sleep.

“Exposure to light is one of the main environmental cues for circadian rhythms, or behavioral changes that respond to light and darkness,” says Cheung. Because office workers are mainly indoors during daylight hours, she explains, they’re most at risk for disturbances to circadian rhythms, which affects their sleep and wake patterns.