Turn off the lights tv#

The specific factors behind the health effects of light at night are the subject of ongoing studies, and Kim said she anticipates more will come. Kim noted that some research suggests that not getting enough bright light during the day increases one’s sensitivity to light at night and that some people may be genetically predisposed to light sensitivity at night. This can trigger a cascade of metabolic or biochemical changes that affect glucose and cardiovascular regulation, boosting the risk of heart disease. Studies suggest that light exposure at night can disrupt the body’s normal circadian rhythm, the 24-hour internal body clock that controls your sleep/wake cycle. The exact mechanism behind this link is unclear, Kim said. People may be able to lower their risk by avoiding or minimizing the amount of light exposure during sleep.” “The good news is that it’s a potentially modifiable risk factor for heart disease. Although the precise sources emitting the light were unknown to the researchers during the study, Kim suspects that sources as seemingly benign as a streetlight or bathroom light were problematic. In her study, the subjects wore a special watch that detects the amount and duration of ambient light while they slept. Now, people are beginning to recognize that this is a problem,” said the SLEEP study’s corresponding author Minjee Kim, M.D., an assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Center for Circadian & Sleep Medicine in Chicago. “The link between light at night and cardiovascular disease has been overlooked for a long time. That study, also funded by the NHLBI, was published in PNAS. The study, supported by the NHLBI, appeared in the journal SLEEP.Īnother study involving adults in their 20s showed that light exposure during sleep can increase insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes, the following morning. One recent study found that older adults ages 63 to 84 who were exposed to even moderate amounts of ambient light during bedtime were more likely to be obese, have diabetes, and have high blood pressure – all risk factors for heart disease – compared to adults who were not exposed to any light during the night. It turns out that even tiny amounts of nighttime light-from any source-may be harmful to your heart.

Turn off the lights tv#

Sure, a little light may stream from the sides of the window, or beam from your alarm clock, or TV modem, or cell phone. You’re ready for bed, so you turn off the lights and pull down the shades.