Lights Out: Light Exposure During Sleep Increases Heart Attack & Diabetes Risk
Researchers also found that insulin resistance occurred the morning after an individual slept in a lit room.
People who sleep in the dark are at a reduced risk of heart diseases and diabetes, compared to those who sleep in dimly-lit rooms, according to a study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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The study which is yet to be published, involved 20 individuals, where they tested the effect of sleeping with 100 lux lighting compared to 3 lux (dim light) in participants over a single night.
Researchers found that moderate light exposure caused the body to go into a higher alert state. This causes the heart rate to spike and the body to be unable to rest properly. It also affects the force with which the heart contracts and the rate of how fast the blood is conducted to the blood vessels for oxygenated blood flow.
Researchers also found that insulin resistance occurred the morning after an individual slept in a lit room.
To the unaware, insulin resistance is when cells in our muscles, fats and liver don¡¯t respond well to the insulin and are unable to harness the glucose from the blood for energy. This forces the pancreas to make more insulin, causing the blood sugar to skyrocket.
Researchers claim that it¡¯s crucial to minimise or if possible, entirely avoid the amount of light exposure during sleep.
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The level of darkness researchers are asking to achieve is complete pitch dark. If people are able to see things then they say it is probably too light.
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Senior study author Dr Phyllis Zee, chief of sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician "In addition to sleep, nutrition and exercise, light exposure during the daytime is an important factor for health, but during the night we show that even modest intensity of light can impair measures of heart and endocrine health."
Zee concluded stating, "These findings are important, particularly for those living in modern societies where exposure to indoor and outdoor nighttime light is increasingly widespread."
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