Why a Light While You Sleep Can Be Bad for Your Health Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
March 31, 2022
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
> Researchers from Northwestern University found even a moderate amount of light exposure while sleeping has a negative effect on your heart health and metabolism, increasing your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
> Light controls your internal clock known as your circadian rhythm, which is influenced by melatonin production in the pineal gland. Light exposure at night inhibits melatonin, which plays a role in many health functions
> Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant with anticonvulsant, antiviral, antibacterial and antiexcitotoxic properties. It has the rare ability to enter the mitochondria and prevent impairment; melatonin has been used in the treatment of sepsis, and as an adjunct treatment for COVID
> Consider making changes to your routine that lower your nighttime light exposure, such as not turning on the lights if you get up at night, using a dim light near the floor if you need light to navigate at night, avoiding white or blue light in the evening and using blackout shades or an eye mask
Researchers from Northwestern University released data from a study that showed even moderate amounts of light exposure at night could have a negative impact on your health.1 In a press release, researchers report that up to 40% of individuals sleep with a light on, which could be a bedside lamp or the television.
However, this estimation does not appear to include the ambient light that comes through your window from streetlamps and other outdoor lighting. This means that many more may be affected by the results of this study.
Exposure to light at night is a relatively recent phenomenon after the invention of electric lighting. Until then, people commonly went to bed at sunset and got up when the sun rose. Scientists have been studying the alterations in your sleep patterns as a result of present-day night lighting that can have a significant impact on your health.
For many years it was widely accepted that sleep was a mystery and potentially little more than a waste of time.2 Modern research has shed more light on the matter and demonstrated that sleep is a crucial component to your healthy lifestyle.3
A negative impact on sleep quality or quantity can have far-reaching consequences, affecting a wide variety of systems from your mood, creativity and brain detoxification4,5,6 to DNA expression and dementia.7,8 Sleep deprivation slows your reaction time and increases your risk for accidents.9 Getting less than six hours of sleep leaves you cognitively impaired.
Even a single night of sleeping only four to six hours can impact your ability to think clearly the next day. In 2021, the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that drowsy driving causes 100,000 car crashes each year and kills 1,500 people.10
As noted by the featured study, sleeping in a room with even a small amount of light can negatively impact your metabolism and overall health.11 If you combine nighttime light exposure with an inadequate amount of sleep, you’ll be exhausted as your body struggles to maintain homeostasis.
Fortunately, there is an easy and inexpensive solution. For the lights you keep on after sunset you can replace them with red light bulbs as red light does not suppress melatonin. Ideally the bulbs should not have any flicker. I found some on Amazon that are relatively inexpensive and these are the only bulbs I use in my home after sunset.
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