Research highlights important risks, not only for eyesight, of exposure to too much light at night. Here are some tips to solve the problem
– Milan
Between light pollution and screens that are always on, the night in our world never seems to fall. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing, on the contrary: excessive exposure to artificial light can negatively affect mental health, according to a new study and is one of the causes of the increase in symptoms of anxiety And depression in the world. But how does too much night light come to harm us?
light and mind
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Light plays a role crucial role in the regulation of circadian rhythms, the natural internal processes that regulate sleep-wake cycles. For more than a few years, scientists have been saying that exposure to daylight strengthens these rhythms. But everything changes after sunset: long-term exposure to artificial light disrupts circadian rhythmsinfluencing sleep and other psychological factors such as mood stability, stress response and cognitive function.
I study
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A group of researchers from Monash University in Australia analyzed light, sleep, physical activity and mental health in a pool of 86,772 adults included in biobank of the United Kingdom. The study included a broad demographic, with participants averaging 62 years of age, split evenly between males and females. The discovery was a clear correlation between exposure to night light and mood disorders: conditions such as insomnia, depression and anxiety were strongly influenced by the imbalances in exposure to artificial light. And, according to the researchers, this was responsible for a 20% increase in symptoms usually associated with mood disorders. Not only: the negative impact of exposure to light at night appeared to be independent of factors such as demographics, physical activity, season, and employment status, including shift work.
the expert
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The study was conducted by Sean Cain, professor at Monash School of Psychological Sciences he was born in Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health of Melbourne, Australia. Cain believes that our brains have evolved to function better in bright light during the day and almost no light at night. However, modern and industrialized times have literally turned our biological systems upside down. “Humans today defy biology, spending approx 90% of the day indoors under electric lighting that is too dim during the day and too bright at night, compared to the natural cycles of light and dark. This is confusing ours body and it makes us feel bad,” explains the scientist. “But when we understand that our light exposure patterns have a powerful influence on mental health, we can take some simple steps to optimize well-being. In practice it is about get bright light in the day and darkness at night“.
night light is bad
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Excessive exposure to lightespecially that one blue coming from tablet and smartphone screens, wreaks havoc on circadian rhythms in several ways. First of all suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. Secondly, excess light can shift internal biological clocks, causing a “phase delay” that makes it difficult to fall asleep at the right time, thus affecting the quality and duration of sleep. Last but not least, Overexposure to artificial light can alter internal body temperatureanother factor regulated by circadian rhythms, disrupting not only sleep but also other biological processes.
solutions
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Some time ago, some researchers from Harvard they conducted a experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of blue light exposure to green light exposure comparable brightness. Blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours). And, in another study on blue light, a team fromUniversity of Toronto compared the melatonin levels of people exposed to bright artificial light with blue light-blocking glasses with those of others volunteers exposed to regular dim light, without wearing glasses. The fact that the levels of the hormone were more or less the same in the two groups strengthens the hypothesis that blue light is a potent suppressor of melatonin. Here because Doctors suggest limiting exposure to artificial light at night. The experts at Harvard they have also drawn up 3 tips to put into practice to avoid them negative effects of blue light:
- Use dimmer red lights in the evening. Red light is less likely to change the circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin.
- Avoid looking at bright screens 2 to 3 hours before going to bed. If you work at night or use a lot of electronic devices at night, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses or installing an app that filters out blue/green wavelengths.
- Expose yourself to lots of bright (sun) light during the day. This will increase your ability to sleep at night, as well as improve mood and alertness during the day.
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