Are you one of those people who prefers to sleep with a night light on?
I remember that as a child, I always had a lamp lit at night, which dispelled my fear and gave me a sense of security. Now, on the contrary, I prefer to sleep in complete darkness, without a TV, phone or other source of light, and even with dark curtains closed to block out the light of street lamps. I recommend that you do the same. I would say that this is more than a recommendation – it is a must!
Have you ever thought about how night light can affect your health?
To understand how, let's turn to the life of our ancient ancestors. During the day, the only source of light for man was the sun, and at night only the moon and stars shone. So for centuries, circadian rhythms have been formed that “make” us awake during the day and sleep at night.
However, with the invention of electricity, age-old habits began to change rapidly. Today, in most cases, the process of falling asleep is accompanied by a source of artificial light, which is brighter than the light of the moon and stars, so the body "goes off the program" and starts a series of biochemical reactions that will subsequently negatively affect our health.
According to experts, even one night of exposure to moderate lighting in a sleeping person can impair glucose regulation and cardiovascular function, which in the long term can contribute to the development of heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
The lighting in your bedroom at night leads to an imbalance of the hormones cortisol and melatonin. Their production is key to understanding why artificial lighting is so harmful.
Melatonin is produced only in conditions of absolute darkness and is responsible for the cycles of sleep and wakefulness. Melatonin lowers blood pressure, body temperature and blood glucose levels.
Melatonin also helps in the fight against aging. It has a protective effect on brain cells, blocking the action of free radicals and preventing degenerative changes. This hormone is even used by people over the age of forty to prevent Parkinson's disease, due to its pronounced antioxidant effect and the ability to provide protection inside human brain cells.
If you sleep in room lighting, melatonin levels are reduced by 50%.
Thus, any light in the bedroom becomes a real problem, and tablets, smartphones and energy-saving lamps only exacerbate the situation. Blue light from LEDs is particularly strong at suppressing melatonin production.
The human immune system can also be affected by improper lighting during sleep. The hormone melatonin is associated with immunological parameters, which deteriorate significantly with a decrease in its production.
At the same time, light at night raises cortisol levels, making it harder for a person to fall asleep. In addition, high levels of the "stress hormone" reduce the body's resistance to insulin and inflammation.
Hormonal disorders simply cannot pass without a trace for the body. One of the most serious health consequences is an increased risk of cancer.
What to do? How to avoid all these problems?
- During sleep, your room should be dark. Remove all gadgets and even dimly lit nightlights from the bedroom.
- Make sure that the light of street lamps and neon signs does not penetrate into your bedroom. Dark curtains made of thick fabric or blind will help you with this.
- Get rid of the habit of reading from the tablet before bed. In general, keep your smartphone, computer, and tablet out of the bedroom whenever possible.
- If it is impossible to achieve complete darkness in the room during sleep, you should use a special sleep mask.
- Try to change your job to one where there will be no night shifts.
I understand that it can be difficult for you to get used to the idea that light can also be dangerous. But this does not mean that you cannot protect yourself from its harmful influence. To do this, you need, firstly, to know how night lights can affect your health, and secondly, to follow these simple rules.