Sleeping With a Light on , Is Bad for Your Health, , New Study Finds.
The study was conducted by researchers at
Northwestern University and consisted of 20 participants.
It confirms other research that sleeping while
exposed to light raises the risk of chronic disease.
The study exposed participants to the equivalent of 100 lux of light as they slept.
This is about enough light that you could maybe see your way around, but it's not enough light to really read comfortably, Dr. Phyllis Zee, Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University, via NPR.
That probably means that the light level that was getting through the eyes was not
really bright enough to
suppress melatonin, Dr. Phyllis Zee, Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University, via NPR.
Researchers say it's possible that the light kept the
sympathetic arm of the nervous system engaged instead of
allowing the body to move into a parasympathetic state to rest.
It's almost like the brain and the heart knew that the lights were on, although the individual
was sleeping, Dr. Phyllis Zee, Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University, via NPR.
Researchers reacting to the study say that this makes sense because the nervous system is complex.
There's a lot of coordinated actions that have to occur in order for us to get a good night's sleep and the autonomic nervous system balance regulates that, Dr. Chris Colwell, UCLA, via NPR.
Health professionals say that even small challenges to the nervous system can have significant effects on a person's health.
That's going to increase the risk of chronic diseases like insulin resistance, diabetes and other cardiometabolic problems, Dr. Charles Czeisler, Brigham and Women's Hospital, via NPR.
Researchers say the new data underscores the significance that all aspects of sleep have on our health