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According to a popular saying – sleep is health. However, it is not that simple. Healthy sleep is first and foremost about quality sleep. It turns out, however, that even a small amount of light in the bedroom can harm our health. It influences the unconscious keeping of the nervous system in a waking state.
- Even one night spent with the lights on can cause changes in the functioning of our body
- Researchers found that volunteers who spent the night with the lights on had a slight increase in their heart rate and increased their body’s resistance to insulin.
- Scientists believe that the effects of light on heart rate and insulin suggest that light activates the sympathetic nervous system that keeps us awake
- However, sleeping in complete darkness is not necessary
- Dr. Phyllis Zee points out that the best solution is to use a red-amber light and place a light on the floor
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Although the study published on March 14 in the journal “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” is not the first to suggest the harmfulness of sleeping with the light on. His results may surprise you. They indicate that just one night of sleeping with the light on can cause changes in the functioning of our body.
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The influence of light on the quality of sleep and health of the respondents
American scientists asked to participate in a study in the sleep laboratory of 20 healthy young people. Half of them slept with the lights off for two nights in a row, using only the dimmed bedside lamp. The remaining 10 people had dimmed lights on for one night, while on the second night they slept with the top light on, which provided moderate lighting for the room.
The researchers found that volunteers who spent the night with the lights on showed a slight increase in their heart rate. The next morning, their body’s resistance to insulin also increased, which in the long term may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
This confirms that night exposure to light has the potential to increase the risk of diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.
– said Dr. Kannan Ramar, former president of the board of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, quoted by WebMD.
Dr. Phyllis Zee, head of sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, quoted by WebMD, emphasizes that light did not disturb melatonin levels in subjects. According to the researcher, the effect of light on the heart rate and insulin suggests that light activates the sympathetic nervous system, which keeps us awake and is usually turned on during the day.
Dr. Zee also emphasizes that the volunteers themselves were not disturbed by light. “They thought they slept pretty well,” Dr. Zee points out.
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Further part below the video.
Should we sleep in complete darkness?
It is well known that people need sunlight during the day and darkness at night to maintain optimal circadian rhythms. They help regulate processes throughout the body – including sleep, metabolism, and hormone release. However, it is not necessary for Dr. Zee to sleep in complete darkness. The researcher points to the fact that even our ancestors who did not use the technology were exposed to the light of the moon. This is why, as Dr. Zee points out, more research is needed into the potential effects of artificial light during sleep.
Exposure to blue light from the screens of our phones and computers can be particularly problematic. This light inhibits the body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin, which keeps the body awake. You can buy a melatonin supplement at medonetmarket.pl for PLN 14,99.
If you need a bedside lamp for safety, that’s okay. It is enough if it is less bright and placed closer to the floor
Dr. Zee told WebMD. The researcher also pointed out that red-amber light is better than white or blue light because it is less stimulating for the brain.
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