Exposure to light while sleeping may raise blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity in older persons, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. In a group of 63 to 84-year-old men and women, those who were exposed to any level of light while sleeping had considerably higher rates of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes than those who did not.
An article detailing the research’s results was published in the journal SLEEP. A recent Northwestern Medicine research found that persons who were exposed to any level of light during sleep at night were considerably more prone to be obese, suffer from high blood pressure, or even have diabetes contrasted to adults who did not have light nearby while sleeping. Over the course of seven days, light exposure was monitored using a wrist-worn device.
The results of the study
This is a real-world research that shows that nighttime light exposure is associated with an increased risk of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in the elderly. The journal SLEEP will publish it on June 22. We are surrounded by an abundance of artificial light that is accessible 24 hours a day, whether it comes from a smartphone, a TV left on overnight, or light pollution in a major city.
More than half of the 552 individuals in the research experienced fewer than five hours of uninterrupted darkness each day. Even during the participants’ darkest five hour intervals of the day, which were often in the midst of their sleep at night, the rest of the attendees were subjected to some light.
When doing a cross-sectional research, it is not clear whether persons who are overweight or have diabetes or hypertension are more likely to keep their bedroom lights on. Aside from being more likely to use the restroom in the middle of the night, those who suffer from these ailments may also have a more compelling reason to keep the lights on. If you have diabetes-related foot numbness, you may wish to use a night light to help protect you from tripping and falling.
